Without Hate
by Kayla2
Summary: Hate Sex didn't happen. Instead, Carly and Jason ran off six months earlier. When they return can they help Sonny and Alexis see what is right in front of them. Sexis/Jarly
1. Chapter 1

This story takes place in mid 2000. The "hate sex" between Sonny and Carly never happened. I'm a little murky on many details about what was actually going on with GH but I'll just make some up to suit my own plot. In this story Carly did not marry A.J. Instead, she met Jason and Michael out of the country and they've been on the run about six months. Alexis is still married to Jax, but with Ned and Sonny is with Hannah...for the moment.

Like in 1999, Sonny and Carly do not like each other, but there will be no hate sex. The story will focus on my favorite couple, Sexis, with a lot of interaction from my former favorites Jason and Carly.

**Without Hate**

"You're a federal agent?" Sonny shook his head in disbelief at the petite brunette standing before him. The feds had certainly pegged his type correctly: dark-haired, beautiful, and petite. And he'd fallen for her act: hook, line and sinker. If he hadn't found the secret file she'd been keeping on him, he might have landed in prison.

Hannah twisted her hands. "You've got it all wrong. This started out as just an assignment, but I love you."

"You sure have a funny way of showing it." Sonny laughed. He became serious. "Whatever we had, is done."

"Sonny you can't mean that. We can get through this." As Hannah moved to touch his arm he pulled away.

"How are we going to get through this Hannah? You wanted to put me in prison."

Johnny opened the door to announce a guest. "Boss, Alexis Davis-Jacks is here to see you."

Alexis stood in the doorway, feeling completely uncomfortable sensing that she'd interrupted a private moment. "I can come back."

Sonny rubbed a hand across the stubble that had begun to form on his cheeks. "No, Hannah was just leaving."

Again Hannah reached for him, only to have Sonny pull away. "Son..." Hannah began to speak, but stopped when Sonny silenced her with a simple hand gesture.

Alexis found herself both intrigued and repulsed by his display of power. She wondered if he was able to dismiss anyone whom he felt crossed him. She watched as Hannah left. The woman still pleaded for him with tear-stained eyes. She wanted to scream out and tell her to have some dignity. What was it about Corinthos?. She shook an impure thought from her mind.

"Thank you for stopping by Mrs. Jacks." Though his insides continued to bubble over Hannah's betrayal; he flashed his trademark dimples at her.

She hated when Sonny turned on the charm. His ability to charm her was part of the reason she'd agreed to represent him in the first place. It was also the reason she'd started to grow fonder of him; although her fondness for him threatened both her safety and her relationship with Ned. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the sadness in his eyes. If she were honest with herself, she'd admit it was his hiding vulnerability that drew her in closer than his charm. "Ms. Davis is fine. Are you okay?"

"Ms Davis? I wouldn't want to disrespect your husband." Sonny smiled. He couldn't quite figure out why he enjoyed flirting with his attorney, but he did. Something about her presence calmed him even now.

"Disrespect my husband? You can't be serious. You may possibly be the most chauvinistic man on the planet. Besides Jax and I are getting a divorce." Even though her marriage to Jax was unconsummated and for convenience, a tiny part of her was going to miss being his wife.

"Hmm..Seems breakups are in the air."

"You and Hannah? Is that what I walked in on?"

"Yep. She's a Fed." It hurt Sonny even to speak the words. He did his best to hide behind his bravado.

A jolt shot up Alexis's spine. "Are you in trouble?"

"I appreciate your concern." He meant it. Sonny was obviously touched that a woman like Alexis Davis cared what happened to him. "But you don't have to worry about me, Alexis. I'm always very careful." He paused to allow her to mull over his point. "In everything I do. Everything."

Sonny Corinthos was incorrigible. He'd flirt with the female half of an amoeba, but she got a kick out of him...most of the time. "Stop flirting with me and tell me why you've summoned me. You're on the clock. As a soon to be divorcee, I'm losing half of my income, so I'm billing you double."

"I can afford you. Plus, I heard you're dating a rich boy playing rock star, so I think you'll be okay." He watched the way she stared at him. She pretended to be annoyed, but he could tell he amused her. He liked that he was able to do that. "Here's the deal. Jason's my right hand and I need him back. But he can't come back because he's dodging kidnapping charges."

"I know. Michael's parentage is a huge subject at the Quartermaine mansion. As AJ's son, he's the new hope of the Quartermaines. Edward and Allen want Jason strung up for taking him away. Monica wants AJ to drop it. What do you want me to do?" Alexis asked.

"Get Jason back."

Alexis and Sonny discussed possible scenarios for bringing Jason home. She thought it would be best for Jason to return separately from Carly with some story about travels for other purposes. As the custodial parent and without A.J.'s name on the birth certificate, she thought she could get Carly off the hook without much effort. Sonny mentioned he could care less what happened with Carly.

As Sonny walked Alexis to the door at the conclusion of their meeting, she mentioned that her decision to help Jason would make her persona non grata at the Quartermaine mansion.

"You living with the Q's?" He couldn't imagine what a nightmare that would be.

"No, I'm still living with Jax and even though he knows it was all a rouse, Ned is pressuring me to move out."

Sonny looked at her legs, then took in the rest of her. He chuckled. "Yeah, I can't imagine why he'd want you to move out."

Alexis rolled her eyes before she continued. He wants me to move into the gatehouse with him. I'm not sure we're ready for that. Our respective marriages put some strain on our relationship." Alexis wondered what it was about Corinthos that made her want to share. "Plus, I can't imagine waking up and hearing Edward's blubbering every morning."

"You looking for a place?"

"Do you know of one?"

"Yeah, I own the one across the hall. I'm a great landlord."

Alexis wondered why she was even entertaining the idea. Ned would throw a conniption fit about her living so near her client, especially if that client was Sonny. They had more than a couple of arguments about him. Plus, Jason lived across the hall and Sonny just asked her to help bring him back. "What about Jason?"

"He and Carly will need a bigger place when they get back with the baby. Unless Jason's come to his sense and changed his mind about Carly."

"Don't count on it. You can't choose who you love."

Sonny gave her a tour of the place. He hoped she loved it. In his line of work, having his lawyer close, though she still wouldn't concede she was actually his lawyer, was a major benefit. He couldn't help but notice she gravitated toward the dining room window. "So what do you think?"

"I think we're going to be neighbors."


	2. Chapter 2

Without Hate - Chapter 2

**Without Hate - Chapter 2**

"Absolutely not." Alexis screeched as her blood pressure ascended Mt. Everest.

Sonny didn't even know she was capable of reaching vocal octaves of that height. He wondered what other heights she could reach.

"Hello, Sonny...Are you listening to me?" She wondered how he could make such a ridiculous suggestion then attempt to tune her out.

"I always listen to you, Alexis." Sonny chuckled. "But do I have to remind you that you promised to do anything to make it up to Jason. I thought you were a woman of your word. I guess only alleged mob bosses live by a code." He smiled knowing which buttons he pushed.

"Shut up with the code already." Alexis wondered how she'd gotten herself into this predicament; then she remembered and sighed deeply. In the three weeks she'd spent as Sonny's neighbor this was the first negative experience she'd had. Up until now, they'd gotten along quite well. Most mornings, Sonny greeted Alexis with a delicious cup of a special blend of his coffee. Generally, he stopped by under the guise of wanting to talk business, which they did for about three minutes. The they branched off to other topics. Most often, she found herself discussing Ned with him, probably more than she should.

Her relationship with Ned had become problematic since her change in residence. For some reason, Ned had become obsessed with the idea that she was attracted to Sonny. Couldn't Ned see Sonny was just a friend? Of course not, he was simply too blindly by jealousy. As she pondered their situation, she thought Ned would go ballistic if he knew she planned to represent Jason if A.J. filed charges.

To save her relationship, she planned a surprise for Ned. She needed to make him feel special. Out of anger, Ned decided to do a short concert tour around the East Coast. His first stop was New York City. One thing she knew for sure was whenever Ned was in Manhattan; he stayed at the Peninsula. So, she hatched a plan to surprise him in his hotel room wearing little more than a smile.

She arrived in New York, bribed the doorman to let her into Ned's hotel room and disrobed until she wore only a sexy, black teddy. Less than half an hour later, she was reminded that she hated surprises. When Ned opened the door to his hotel room, he was accompanied by a news crew. What kind of a doofus planned an interview in his hotel room? Alexis was mortified.

It wasn't until Jason returned a week later that Alexis learned pictures of her in her underwear were all over the internet and worse yet, they were being sold as posters along the roadside. Jason, sweetheart that he was, actually brought her one of the posters, which she quickly ripped into shreds. Fortunately, he gave it to her before Taggert hauled him down to the station to charge him with kidnapping.

Jason didn't understand Alexis's reaction to poster. He thought she'd be flattered because she looked great. Apparently, Sonny thought so, too, because when Alexis wasn't around, he asked Jason if he would go back and pick a poster up for him, too. He was curious about why Sonny was giving Alexis such a hard time about the poster now.

Sonny continued on. "'Lexis, you are really putting Jason at a disadvantage here. Everyone on the jury is going to be imagining you in your lacy underwear." He smiled. He'd hardly been able to think of anything else himself. "You know, they'll be thinking about you perched on the bed with the rose between your teeth. No one is going to be listening to the facts of the case."

Though he didn't crack a smile during his speech, Sonny laughed inside. He honestly could care less whether Alexis agreed to their proposal; he just liked to give her a hard time. The blush that crept on her cheeks encouraged him to go on. Before he could, Jason spoke up.

Jason had been standing quietly watching the exchange between Sonny and Alexis and he hadn't said a word. Yet, something about Alexis reminded him of a helpless kitten, particularly after Sonny's last comment. Jason knew his friend meant no harm, he just didn't know how uncomfortable it made Alexis to be thought of in a sexual fashion. Jason learned a lot about people by paying close attention.

"Alexis, I appreciate all of your help." She'd gotten him released the night he returned though Taggert made sure it didn't happen until almost 2 a.m. "Besides if this case goes to trial, I'm sure half the guys on the jury will want to date you. That can't hurt."

Sonny frowned, though Jason was sure he didn't realize it.

"Gee thanks." Alexis deadpanned. She grew more mortified by the minute.

"Alexis, I'll understand if what we're asking is too much, but it would really make my life a lot easier." Jason gave her a simple, boyish smile.

Sonny rolled his eyes. Jason was good, but he was clueless sometimes. There was no way Alexis was going to agree to their request, not for all the charm in the world. That was exactly why Sonny decided to have a little fun with her instead.

Alexis ran her hands over her face. She knew she would regret this conversation some day. "Fine. Against my better judgment, Carly can move in with me, but only on a trial basis."

Sonny's jaw dropped. Alexis actually agreed to let Carly move in with her. It was Jason's idea, but Sonny never thought she'd go for it. He figured if she lived with Alexis, Carly would be close enough for him to keep an eye on. He also knew that if AJ came around and tried to scare Carly, Alexis would shut him down. "Thanks Alexis. I won't forget it."

"Only for you." Alexis patted Jason's cheek.

The two men watched as she left PH4. As soon as she was out of earshot, Sonny asked, "What did she mean, only for you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Without Hate - Chapter 3

_A/N: A big apology to anyone who's been reading. I was just reading the story for continuity and I realized I posted the same chapter twice. Again, my apologies. Anyway, here's chapter three_

Without Hate - Chapter 3

Alexis closed the door to her Penthouse and rested her back against it. She wondered what she had gotten herself into. Carly Benson? Her roommate? To top it off, Carly had an eight-month old baby. Alexis had never done well with babies or anyone under 18 for that matter.

The knock on the other side of the door startled her. She opened the door to reveal none other than Sonny Corinthos.

"Oh, it's you." She left the door open and walked to the kitchen. When she returned she carried two cups of coffee. She handed one to Sonny, which he took before they both sat on the sofa.

"Wow, you must angrier with me than I thought to make me drink your coffee." Sonny chuckled. He thought it best to keep the mood light.

"Now why would I be angry with you Sonny? Is it because I will soon be rooming with the town pariah?"

"Yeah, about that." Sonny ran his hand along his chin. "I stopped by so I could tell you that you don't have to let Carly stay here."

She took a sip of her coffee, made a face and then set it on the coffee table. "You've certainly changed your tune. Less than 10 minutes ago, you were telling me that my nearly televised romantic liaison would cost Jason his freedom and the only thing I could do to make up for it was to allow Carly Benson to share my home."

"I only said it because I knew you would say, 'no.'"

"Perhaps, you don't know me as well as you'd like to think."

"Oh, I think you already proved that...Angel." Sonny began to chuckle while Alexis glared in his direction.

"If you keep this up, you just may find yourself in need of new legal counsel."

Sonny laughed, not knowing how much she enjoyed watching him laugh. It was one of the few times he let his guard down. "Alexis, I'm teasing. I like teasing you. You're cute when you get all flustered."

"I am not cute. Bunnies are cute. Puppies are cute. But I am your attorney and I am not cute."

Sonny bit his lip. It was all he could do to keep from laughing again. What Alexis didn't know was he found her adorable as she went on a tirade about bunnies and puppies. "So, seriously, why did you agree to let Carly live here?"

"I told you at your apartment. I did it for Jason."

The hair on Sonny's neck rose. When did Alexis start doing things for Jason that she wouldn't do for him? "Why are you doing Jason special favors?"

Alexis tilted her head to the side as she pondered the question. "I've been where Jason is. It's not easy when you care about someone that everyone else says irredeemable. It especially doesn't help when that person is also self-destructive. "

Something about her words touched Sonny. He examined her face. He stopped at her eyes. Alexis Davis was a captivating woman.

She continued. "All I've heard about my brother since we've come to Port Charles is how irredeemable he is."

"Oh."

She recognized the drop in his mood and poked him in the arm. "Believe it or not, some people even tell me to stay away from you."

"Why would they say that? I'm a model citizen." He flashed his deepest set of dimples possible.

Alexis hated Sonny could be so charming. Often times she forgot he was dangerous, Ned might even say, 'lethal.' But one thing was undeniable he was a good friend. He hated Carly Benson, but because he knew Jason loved her, he would help them be together.

They spoke for a few minutes longer. Sonny assured Alexis that Carly was stowed away where she couldn't cause any trouble. Though he didn't tell Alexis where because she asked not to know. Carly was safely tucked at one of his casinos.

They agreed she would stay away for two months, just long enough to establish Jason was not compliant in any kidnapping scheme. The custody order AJ sought when he learned Michael was his had not been entered, so Carly had every right to take her son and travel with him.

Alexis's living arrangement with Carly would be temporary, just long enough for them to figure out A.J.'s custody strategy and assure Carly didn't get in any trouble before they did. If A.J. decided to push for charges against Jason, in all likelihood, Jason and Carly would have to marry. If not, after six months or so, they could probably just get on with their lives.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. It was Alexis's two best friends: Jax and Chloe. They made a handsome couple; both tall, both stately.

"We just came to check on you." The Aussie started, but stopped abruptly when he saw Sonny on her sofa.

"We could come back later, if you're in the middle of business." Chloe offered.

Sonny rose to his feet. "I was just leaving." He turned toward Chloe. "It's always nice to see you Mrs. Ashton." Sonny knew how much it irked Jax that Ned had been married to his current flame. It was probably as much as it irked Sonny to know Jax had been married to Alexis.

"Call me Chloe, please."

Jax stepped between them. "Better yet, just don't call her at all."

"Whatever Candyboy." He turned toward Alexis. "'Lexis, I'll call you later."

Alexis gave him a nod and held her breath.

As soon as Sonny closed the door, Jax lit into her. "Alexis, trouble follows that man everywhere he goes. Do you know how much danger you're in just by having him in your home?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me." She loved Jax dearly. He was always there whenever she needed him; however, he had a tendency to be overly opinionated when it came to her personal life.

"This is serious."

Alexis sighed deeply. "Jax, Sonny is a client and a friend, nothing more. I wish you and Ned would stop with the dramatics."

"His first wife died because of a car bomb."

"And you thought your first wife died in an explosion. There is danger everywhere. My stepmother wants me dead on a regular basis. Besides, it's not like I'm involved with the man, he's just a friend."

Alexis and Jax went around in circles until he was called to his office on business. Chloe remained behind.

Somehow, Chloe scrounged up some cookies and made two cups of tea. Then she announced it was time for them to have a little girl talk.

"Alexis, what's going on with you? Ned's my friend, but you're my best friend. So, spill."

"Nothing's going on. My effort to show my devotion to Ned has landed pictures of me in my underwear on the walls of every East Coast biker bar. What else do I need to do?"

Chloe took a sip of her tea. She was a beautiful, elegant woman. You could tell from her manners she'd been raised in a family of means. Alexis had, too; but Chloe's family hadn't plotted to kill one another on a regular basis. "You don't need to do anything. But can you understand Ned's jealousy? Sonny's a very attractive man."

"He's not my type."

"Dark hair and dimples don't do it for you?" Chloe smiled as she thought of Ned's dark hair and deep dimples.

"Fine. He's attractive. And before you ask; yes, he's charming."

"The two of you spend a lot of time together."

Alexis ran her hands over her face. She smiled, though mostly out of frustration. "Do you know why I spend so much time with Sonny? It's because he doesn't have all these expectations of me. Ned wants me to be the perfect little Quartermaine woman: to support him in business and to support him in his music career. The truth is I don't even like his music." She clamped her hand over her mouth. "I can't believe I just said that."

Chloe giggled. "It's okay. I won't tell."

"Sonny is one of the few people who just lets me be. Stefan, Ned and even Jax; they all expect me to behave a certain way and they don't hesitate to tell me when I've failed to live up to those expectations. But Sonny takes me the way I am."

"And that's it?"

"Yes."

Chloe knew her friend almost as well as she knew herself. "You've never once even imagined what it would be like to kiss him?"

And for the first time Alexis lied to her best friend. "Absolutely not."

Chloe took one look at Alexis. "Liar." Soon both women were laughing so hard they could barely breathe.


	4. Chapter 4

Without Hate - Chapter 4

"Carly!" Alexis yelled after she'd caught her heel on one of Michael's toys. At this rate, she'd be defending Jason in a hip cast.

Carly strolled out of the kitchen with an éclair in hand. "What?"

Alexis gave her the once over, wondering how she managed to eat as crappy as she did and still have an incredible figure. "I almost broke my ankle on Michael's puffy squeezy thing."

Alexis picked up the toy and held it out for Carly to take.

"It's a toy. Babies drop them sometimes. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is mothers generally pick the toys up when babies drop them." Alexis continued to hold the toy extended toward Carly. Carly continued to eat her éclair. "Are you going to take this or what?"

"No, I'm eating a doughnut."

"That's not a doughnut, it's an éclair." One day into their living arrangement and Alexis already wanted her dead. The two months preceding her arrival had sped along faster than a kid's day at a carnival. For the most part, they had been wonderful. Sonny's guilt caused him to shower her with attention. He even made her microwave popcorn when she got home from work. And now, instead of popcorn and warm conversation, she had Carly's drama and Michael's toys. "And just what am I supposed to do with this?"

Carly wrinkled her nose. "Throw it on the sofa. I don't care."

"Carly, the sofa's not a playpen. I'm not going to throw Michael's toys all over the place."

"As soon as you find some place to put that you can have one of your pretentious donuts. There are more in the kitchen."

Alexis tossed the toy on the sofa and headed to the kitchen. When she returned she was delicately caressing her own éclair. "These are amazing. They're my favorites. Where did you get them?"

"Jason brought them this morning. He said they were your favorite." Outwardly, Carly was a tomboy. Her voice was husky. She walked tough and she never hesitated to get in anyone's face. Now, she moved around Alexis as she tried to size her up. "Why is it that my man is bringing you your favorites for breakfast? You got designs on Jason? Cause if you do, this living situation, you and me, we aren't going to work."

"Carly, I have absolutely no romantic interest in Jason. We are friends, which is the only reason I have agreed to allow you to live in my home. For whatever reason, he loves you and I respect that, but that only goes so far. So, try to stay out of my way."

"Well, you don't have to get snippy about it." Carly wasn't the least bit phased by Alexis's tough talk. In fact, she preferred people who were straight with her. She liked to know where she stood.

Michael began to cry. Soon his wails could be heard on the first floor by both Carly and Alexis.

Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to get him?"

"Oh don't tell me, Leticia's not here."

"Carly, Michael's your son, which makes him your responsibility. You need to take care of him."

"Yes, your highness. Is there anything else?" Carly headed upstairs.

"Yeah, keep the toys out of my way, too." Alexis realized she was cranky. She had a right to be. Ned suggested they take a break as soon as he learned Carly was going to be her roommate. He mentioned feeling uncomfortable going against the family on something "this big." At the time, it made her chuckle since Ned always billed himself as some sort of Quartermaine Maverick. The truth was when the chips were down; he always did what the family expected.

A knock on the door soon revealed Jason. Carly must have been able to smell him because two seconds after he arrived, Carly flung herself and Michael into Jason's arms. "Jase, I don't think I can do this." She kissed his cheek.

"You can go, if you like." Alexis smiled through clinched teeth.

Jason ignored both Carly and Alexis. Neither was a woman you wanted to cross. Soon he was on the sofa, completely engrossed in playing with his boy. Carly and Alexis stood transfixed on this man who could be so cold; and yet, in the blink of an eye, be so gentle with the little one. Carly joined him. Both seemed amazed by every move this miniature human made. Alexis determined, at that moment, she would not allow this little family to be broken.

Alexis heard a knock on the door, which she immediately recognized. No sooner than Sonny appeared, Jason stood and extended a hand to Carly. "You ready to go?" He turned to Alexis, "We'll be back in a couple of hours."

Sonny nodded to the duo.

Alexis's eyes widened. "But I thought we all agreed it was better if the two of you weren't seen together."

"Don't worry, Lexy. Where we're going, no one's going to see us." Carly giggled. Alexis watched amazed that Carly was able to make Jason blush. She was probably the only person on the planet who could. Alexis felt her heart begin to race as she watched Jason hand the baby to Sonny.

"You can't keep him here."

"He lives her." Carly spat. "We're only going next door. Don't be a spaz, Alexis. Plus, I haven't _really _seen Jason in two months."

"Just go. We'll, keep Michael." Sonny volunteered.

"What do you mean we'll keep Michael?"

"See you guys in a couple of hours." The door closing set Alexis's feet in motion. Michael's head moved from side to side as he watched her pace.

"Alexis, will you stop? You're going to make the baby dizzy."

"I don't do babies, Sonny. They hate me. Brooke Lynn hated me and she wasn't a baby. Maybe people under 18 hate me." She sighed and dropped herself in the chair by her desk. "I'll just sit at my desk and work."

Alexis tried to ignore Sonny as he sat on the sofa and played with the baby. But she found something about his vulnerability with the baby, so sexy. Without meaning to, she repeatedly glanced in his direction. It seemed her last glance was one-glance too many because as she looked up she found herself locked in his gaze.

He was the first to speak. "Come here. Let me show you something."

Reluctantly, Alexis walked toward the sofa and dropped herself on the sofa. She began to withdraw as Sonny tried to hand her the baby. Michael began to squirm.

"Alexis, babies can smell fear."

"If that what he's smelling he's got a good nose."

Sonny chuckled. Something in him knew she would be a great mother one day. He helped Alexis position the boy on her lap. "Now just talk to him."

"About what?"

"About anything. It doesn't matter. They just like to hear your voice." Truth was, he enjoyed hearing her voice. She was an interesting mix of sophisticated with a dash of quirky.

Alexis sighed. "Okay. Hello Michael. You are one lucky little boy. Your mama loves you and Jason, he loves you too. Plus, you've got this extended family named the Quartermaines, they're actually insane, but I don't think it's genetic. Emily's not crazy...but that doesn't solve your genetic problem now does it?"

Michael gave her a toothless grin. Sonny followed with a dimpled one. Alexis was in the midst of one of her infamous rambles.

"Lila's not crazy and she's a Morgan...just like you." Alexis brushed her hand over the boy's red hair. She remembered the other side of the baby's lineage. "Oh no, you are part Spencer aren't you? You've got your crazy Uncle Luke."

Sonny laughed out loud. He rose from the sofa.

"Where are you going, Corinthos?" Alexis felt herself tense up.

"It's almost time for Michael's lunch. Trust me; you don't want to be around a hungry baby."

"What am I supposed to do?"

Sonny continued toward the kitchen. "Keep talking to him."

Alexis looked at the baby who stared at her without blinking. "Do you want to talk about your crazy Uncle Luke?"

Michael frowned.

"That's how I feel about Uncle Luke, too. Do you want to talk about Uncle Sonny?" The baby grinned again. "Uncle Sonny wears very expensive suits, so you should try not to spit up on them. And even though he sometimes seems grumpy, he's really a good man." She kissed the baby's forehead. Her reward was another toothless grin. "You've got a beautiful smile, Little One." She looked toward the kitchen to see if Sonny was on his way back; he wasn't. "You know who else has a beautiful smile: Uncle Sonny. And he has beautiful hair and beautiful hands. And his dimples are absolutely amazing."

Unfortunately Alexis didn't hear Carly come through the door until it was too late. "You've got the hots for Sonny?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Without Hate - Chapter 5**

"You've got the hots for Sonny?" Carly wore a peculiar smirk on her face.

"No." Alexis shouted, causing Michael to burst into tears. Alexis rubbed his back and attempted to shift him on her knee, which seemed to cause Michael to wail louder.

Carly moved toward the baby. "You don't have to upset my son just because you have the hots for..."

"Shut up." Alexis snapped through clinched teeth.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Sonny called out on his way from the kitchen.

As Carly bent to take Michael from Alexis's arms, Alexis spoke to her in a loud whisper. "Carly, not a word about what you think you heard. Do you understand me?"

"What's in it for me?" Carly looked toward the kitchen with a mischievous smile.

"Your life...unless I change my mind."

Carly shrugged and pulled Michael to her arms, just as Sonny entered the room.

"What's going on?" He carried a plateful of baby food, probably something he made himself.

Carly smiled and winked at Alexis. "Alexis and I were just talking about her dream man."

"Let me guess: leather pants and a business suit?"

"I really don't think we should be discussing..." Alexis tried to interrupt.

"Actually, no." Carly turned toward Sonny.

"No?" Sonny's interest peaked. Without meaning to he flashed a dimple. "I'd love to hear more about this."

"Why?" Alexis took in his gorgeous face then thought about the Pandora's Box Carly threatened to open. She slapped her hands on her hips. "Don't you people have anything better to do than talk about me?"

Sonny moved to her side. "Alexis, you are a fascinating woman and I am always interested in learning what makes your very complicated mind tick."

Despite her best efforts, Alexis felt herself blush. She hated the effect this man had on her, but she was helpless to stop it. She took a deep breath to compose herself. The one thing she knew was the worst thing she could do was let a shameless flirt like Sonny know he did anything at all for her. "Many men have tried and failed, Corinthos."

"You see, that's why I'm curious about your perfect man. Go on, Carly."

Carly was fascinated by the way the two bantered. She may not have graduated at the top of her nursing class...or at all, for that matter; however, there was one thing at which she was an expert: male and female relationships. And one thing was clear these two had a thing for each other. But, she needed to know more before she decided what to do with the information. "You're wasting your time, Sonny. When I walked in and saw Michael so comfortable with Alexis; I said it was clear that Alexis's dream man was redheaded and toothless."

Alexis silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't blame her. I've heard Michael cry. I think he's got better pipes than Ned." Despite her best efforts not to laugh, Alexis chuckled.

Sonny departed a short time later, leaving Alexis and Carly with their new secret between them. As Carly moved about the apartment, Alexis traveled close on her heels. "I'm not sure what you thought you heard, but..."

"Alexis, I know what I heard and it's cool. Alexis Davis upstanding citizen and well-known goody two shoes, has a thing for Sonny Corinthos, mob boss and ladies man. Why shouldn't you? Everybody loves a bad boy. From where I sit it's going to be interesting to watch."

"I don't love bad boys. In fact, they scare me. Jax was good. Ned was good. Sonny's a client and we're friends. Nothing is going to happen." Alexis thought for a second. "I am curious, though, if you're so sure about what you heard, why didn't you tell Sonny?"

Carly shrugged. "I guess when it's actually his business, he'll find out. Besides, I'm not as big of a troublemaker as you've heard. If being with Ned keeps you happy and able to represent Jason, I'm not going to do anything to mess it up."

Two days later, Alexis marveled that Carly had been able to keep her mouth shut. She felt herself relax into her routine. A ring of the doorbell changed all that, even if Alexis was upstairs when it happened.

Carly opened the door surprised to see AJ and Ned standing on the other side. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, AJ made her nervous. He'd been educated at fancy private schools; she'd barely graduated from the public school she attended. The Quartermaines had ways of saying things to make her doubt herself. "Alexis is upstairs," she spat too fast.

"That's okay. We're here to see you." Ned slipped through the small opening between the door and its frame. AJ followed him before Carly could slam the door.

"I didn't say you could come in." She nervously glanced in the direction of the stairs.

Ned made himself at home on the sofa. Once again, Junior followed.

"Carly, I came with Junior because I wanted to assure you that the Quartermaine family isn't out to get you. We simply want to be a part of Michael's life."

Carly felt her hands shake. "Then why are you trying to send Jason to jail? He didn't do anything. Is that how you treat your own?"

"Jason isn't part of our family. He made sure of that when he took up with the likes of Sonny Corinthos. You can't actually think there's a court out there that will let my son be raised by a hit man and a perpetual drop out." AJ baited her.

"Don't answer that!" Alexis shouted as she headed down the stairs.

"Seriously, Alexis, you may represent Jason but even you know what kind of men he and Sonny are." AJ focused his beady little eyes on Carly.

Alexis coolly stepped between Carly and AJ. "It may surprise you AJ, but courts aren't too fond of alcoholics who've caused their brothers brain damage."

Ned decided to calm the situation. "Alexis, we only came to talk to Carly. I think we can work things out between her and the family peacefully."

Alexis turned to face Ned. "Is AJ willing to drop the charges against Jason without trying to make him give up the rights he has to Michael as the named father on the birth certificate?"

"Absolutely not." AJ shouted.

"Well, we've worked that out and it was relatively peaceful, so I guess you both can go."

"Who are you?" Ned began to light into Alexis. "Are you an official mob mouthpiece?"

Alexis moved to face him toe to toe. "I'm representing my client's interests which you have tried to circumvent. Even so, being a mob mouthpiece sounds a heck of a lot better than being a Quartermaine right now."

"You're unbelievable." Ned shouted.

While Ned and Alexis bickered, AJ moved toward Carly. "You don't really think you can beat me in court, do you, Carly? Do you think Sonny and Jason have the kind of influence with judges that Grandfather has? When are you going to face the fact that you're nothing but trash?"

Alexis glanced over to see Carly frozen like a deer in headlights. She turned toward AJ. "Shut up you little pipsqueak. Why are you in my home?"

"Ned and I thought we'd try and reason with--" AJ started before Alexis cut him off.

"Ned?" She turned to face her former beau. "This was your idea?"

Ned took a deep sigh. "I thought if I could make peace between Carly and AJ, you and I might be able to find our way back to each other."

"If you think watching AJ beat up on Carly does it for me; I'm glad we took a break. Speaking of which, since we are no longer seeing each other, I want you out of my house."

"Alexis, you don't mean that."

"Try me." Alexis walked to the door and held it open. Ned and AJ retreated with their tails between their legs.

Carly straightened herself up. She did her best to cover the fear that paralyzed her a few minutes before. "I could have taken care of them if you hadn't come downstairs."

Alexis nodded. She knew what it was to be insecure even when the whole world thought you were impenetrable. "I know. I just wanted to make clear to Ned and AJ that they weren't welcome in my home." She checked her watch. "I have a meeting with a client. Will you be okay?"

Carly nodded. As Alexis moved toward the door; Carly called out, "Alexis, thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Something surprising happened to Carly that afternoon. She was filled with an excitement she hadn't known before. She was certain she'd just made a female friend, only the second in her lifetime. She would find some way to thank Alexis for what she'd done.

Her eyes closed as she replayed the morning's encounter with Ned and AJ in her mind. She hadn't paid much attention at the time, but she could have sworn Alexis mentioned she and Ned were no longer together. Suddenly, like a flash, a brilliant idea popped into her head. She knew just how to repay Alexis for getting rid of AJ earlier. And it just so happened that this idea would help stick it to Ned as well.

A few hours later, Jason entered PH2. Carly through her arms around him and showered his face with kisses.

"Carly, Carly, slow down." He chuckled. "I swear sometimes you overwhelm me." He planted a tender kiss on her mouth.

She looked at him and grinned. It was a childlike grin that only Carly could give. "See, you don't understand. For a long time, I didn't think you were ever going to be my man, not for real."

"What can I say, you are hard to resist once you get an idea in your head." He kissed her again.

She pulled him to the sofa and practically pounced on his lap. "Jase, speaking of ideas, I have a great one."

"What is it this time?"

"We're going to help Sonny and Alexis get together."


	6. Chapter 6

Without Hate - Chapter 6

**Without Hate - Chapter 6**

For Jason, falling for Carly had been very much a conscious choice; he'd consciously fought it every step of the way. Then A.J. changed his life. Six months before, A.J. arrived at Bobbie's brownstone under the guise of wanting to give Michael a better life than Carly had when she was a baby. He offered to marry her. A.J. even went as far as kissing her as a sign of good faith. What A.J. hadn't known Jason was there watching the whole scene. It was that night he'd ask her to go on the run.

And it was one night on the run when he raced back to their tiny home with the white picket fence that he realized his life was better with her in it than without. And soon, he dove in head first with his eyes wide open and allowed himself to love her.

One thing Jason knew when he decided to be with Carly was that she came up with the most ridiculous plans. Sometimes these plans got her into trouble; most times they harmed everyone else. So, when Carly let him in on her latest plan, to fix up Sonny and Alexis, he nearly blew a gasket. "Carly, are you crazy?"

"I'm telling you, they've got a thing for each other." Not that Carly expected him to believe her. It had taken him far too long to realize he was in love with her.

"Absolutely not. You want to hook up the most powerful man on the Eastern seaboard with his criminal lawyer."

Carly giggled; she was quite pleased with herself. "I know. It's almost too perfect isn't it?"

The last thing he wanted was Carly to cause friction between Sonny and Alexis that might hurt his case. "She's not his type."

"Right, dark-haired, pretty, not afraid of an argument, what was I thinking?"

"He's not her type either."

"Yeah, I'm sure she hates dimpled, Alpha-males." She stretched her legs across his and admired how toned they were in the process. "You know, opposites attract."

He knew what she was doing: using her sexuality to manipulate him. The funny thing was she did it even though he typically didn't give in, not to the plan anyway. "If you're so sure they want to be together then why would they need a push from you."

"Because, Alexis might be a brilliant attorney," Carly ran a finger along Jason's jawline until it landed on his chin. "But she doesn't have my skills with men." She pulled him into kiss. Their tongues danced to their own rhythm.

When they broke from the kiss, Jason smiled. Yes, life was better with Carly than without; more complicated, but better. "That was nice, but you can still forget about it. No plans."

Carly fell into a mock pout which disappeared the moment he kissed her. She'd never expected life to bring her this much happiness, so if her man wanted her to back off, she would.

Jason had almost forgotten about Carly's crazy idea about Sonny and Alexis until he walked in on what felt like a private moment between them in the kitchen.

A few moments before, Alexis watched in amazement as Sonny moved about the kitchen. He practically glided from the refrigerator to the stove and back again. Earlier, while they were working, Alexis had simply mentioned she was a bit hungry. She'd only expected they would order in. However, Sonny decided to make lunch: omelets.

Now in the kitchen, his movements amazed her: he cracked eggs with one hand; diced veggies like a professional chef; and whisked with the same ease with which he smiled. Watching him flip the omelet was like watching Michelangelo sculpt. The scarlet silk shirt he wore outlined his muscular torso as he leaned back to flip the first omelet.

Without any awareness on her part, Alexis's mouth dropped open as her mind took her on a journey that led her to watch herself trailing imaginary kisses around the six-pack she knew existed.

"What?" Sonny chuckled.

"I, I, I've just never seen anything like it." She knew he thought she meant his cooking skills; her thoughts were admittedly less innocent.

"I could show you how to flip an omelet if you want."

A nauseous feeling came over Alexis. The last things she needed to be around were Sonny and fire. Sometimes it seemed she couldn't tell the difference between the two. "The kitchen and I aren't exactly friends. I burn things...most of the time."

"It's okay, I'll be right here with you." He pulled her from the stool where she sat. "I'll make sure you don't burn anything," he chuckled before adding, "hot stuff."

Alexis pushed a gust of air across her lips as she stood before her natural predator: the stove. Sonny handed her the skillet that nearly slipped from her sweaty palm. After pouring the egg mixture in the skillet, Sonny moved behind her. His fingers encircled her wrist; his arm brushed against hers. To steady herself, she took another deep breath.

Alexis wasn't the only one who was distracted. Standing behind her, Sonny took in the scent of her hair: vanilla and lavender. His mouth moved toward her ear: its purpose to speak; its desire to kiss. His voice scratched out deeper than he intended, "You gotta hold it right here close to the heat until just the right moment. Then gently and quickly...you flip it."

As he finished his sentence, he guided her wrist in a firm lifting motion that caused the omelet to flip. For a moment, Alexis was afraid she was panting.

"See," he brought his mouth closer to her ear, "easy."

Alexis released her fingers from the skillet's handle. She turned her body slightly toward his in a manner that brought her too close for either of their comfort. His eyes were unexpected: intense and vulnerable. Desire was etched in hers.

"Sonny." Her voice was whisper-soft.

In some sort of trance, he was unable to hear her. His hand moved to stroke her hair.

"Sonny!"

He thought he heard his name, but his eyes were focused clearly on Alexis's mouth and she wasn't speaking.

"Sonny! The stove!" Jason ran past the two, grabbed a nearby extinguisher and doused the fire neither had seen ignite.

When the smoke cleared, Alexis buried her face in her hands in an attempt to hide her reddened cheeks. "See, I told you I cause things to burn."

Sonny chuckled. "You can say that again, Ms. Davis. You certainly do."

Later that evening, after Alexis had gone, Sonny stood gazing out of the Penthouse window. Through his mind ran a cavalcade of images: her mouth, her hair, her skin; everything soft and everything beautiful.

Once again he failed to notice his protégé's presence in the room. "Thinking about Alexis?"

A bit caught of guard, Sonny smiled. "Yeah, she's a disaster in the kitchen."

"Carly thinks you have a thing for each other."

"Nah," Sonny shook his head. "She's my lawyer and a good friend. Plus, she's with Ashton, not to mention, she's not completely out of her sham marriage with Candyboy."

Jason shrugged. After the day's earlier scene, he knew Carly was right. His best friend was falling for his attorney. Against his earlier vow to Carly to stay out of it, he decided to through him a bone. "I don't know about Jax, but Carly says Alexis and Ned broke up. So, I guess she's a free woman."

Sonny nodded, deep in thought. "You sure about Ashton?"

Jason smiled. "Yeah."

"I'm going to head up now." Sonny motioned in the direction of the stairs. He felt so light he could float. As he ascended the stairs a thousand thoughts flooded his mind. Alexis Davis was the kind of woman he'd wanted since he was a boy. And he knew one thing for sure: He always got what he wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

**Without Hate Chapter 7**

Alexis Davis never expected to have a new found friend in Carly Benson. Yet, though they'd only been roommates for a couple of weeks, they'd gotten along pretty well. Carly had a sense of adventure Alexis had come to admire. She pushed Alexis to try things she never before considered.

Carly on the other hand respected Alexis's strength and intelligence, but most of all she admired her class. It was clear that Alexis commanded the attention of the entire courtroom when she entered. More than that, she gained the attention of men, powerful men. Carly might have found she was envious if Alexis had even the slightest clue about her own attractiveness.

Carly noticed Alexis seemed a little down over the last couple days, so she suggested they go shopping. Alexis did her best to talk Carly into something a bit more classic than she was used to wearing. Carly, on the other hand tried to talk Alexis into wearing clothes that showed off her curves. And after a few of Carly's choices, both women were surprised at just how vicious Alexis's curves were.

As they entered their Penthouse, the two women collapsed on the sofa. Alexis sighed, "I actually had a good time."

"I can't wait to see you in that little black dress. You're going to look great."

"I can't wear that in public." Alexis blushed as her mind pictured the nearly painted on black halter dress she let Carly pick out for her. "But thanks for today. It felt good to get away for awhile."

(./convergence_08/perfect-little-black-dress)

"I have an idea." Carly sat up straight as she thought of Sonny's reaction to Alexis in that dress. While it was true she'd promised Jason she wouldn't engage in any matchmaking, it didn't hurt for Sonny to see what he was missing. "Let's go out for a girls' night out; just the two of us."

"I don't know Carly, I'm exhausted."

"So take a nap. I've got to get you out in that dress, before you lose your nerve. We can go to Luke's. I'll go make sure Jason can keep Michael."

Before Alexis could object, Carly was out of the door and across the hall. And while she was completely aware that Jason was picking Michael up from Bobbie's, she landed next door anyway.

As usual, Sonny was gruff when he saw her. "What do you want Carly?"

"I'm looking for Jase." She looked at him, wondering what Alexis could possibly see in him. "I need him to watch Michael tonight. Alexis and I are going out for a girls' night. You should see the dress I got her to buy: hugs every single curve, perfectly." She noticed the interest sparking in Sonny's eyes and continued on, "Uncle Luke will have to fight the men off."

Sonny's mind pictured at least ten possible dresses on Alexis; each one more revealing than the previous. Then he pictured her unwanted suitors, one of whom was Carly's 'Uncle Luke." "I gotta be at the club tonight. Why don't I give the two of you a ride?"

"Sure, if you want. Stop by at 7. But Sonny, this is a girls' night out. You drop us off and that's it."

"Of course." Sonny agreed without meaning it.

Carly returned to the Penthouse and allowed Alexis to nap for 90 minutes before she had her up and showering. After a half hour of convincing Alexis agreed to allow her hair to fall into its natural curl.

Carly slipped into something red and tight. She made a half-hearted effort to get ready. At 6:58, the doorbell rang. Jason held a very happy, gurgling baby Michael. Sonny, who had been standing behind him, greeted her dryly. Though she hated to admit it, Sonny looked handsome. He wore a black suit with a black, collared shirt. His skin, darkened from the summer sun was absolutely flawless.

The click of Alexis's heels could be heard as she ascended the steps. Carly nudged Jason in the ribs and whispered, "Follow my lead."

Jason returned the whisper, a bit louder, "Carly! I thought we agreed."

As soon as Alexis hit the bottom of the stairs, Sonny was done for. Sweat moistened his palms and his eyes widened.

Alexis's effect on him was not lost on Carly. Now was the time for the plan she'd formulated the moment she saw Alexis in that dress. As Alexis approached, Carly turned toward Jason, "Jase, I think Michael has a fever."

"Huh?" Jason found himself unable to focus, until he felt a swift poke in the ribs. "I, I guess I didn't realize it." He pushed out a breath. "Alexis, you look great."

"Thanks," she blushed.

"Alexis," Sonny made no effort to hide his approval of her appearance, "I've always thought you were an amazing woman, but you look absolutely incredible."

"Thanks Sonny." Her voice was soft.

"Too bad we can't go anywhere, Michael's got a fever." Carly crossed her fingers behind her back.

Alexis instinctively moved toward Michael in an effort to touch his forehead. Carly quickly shifted the baby away from her.

"Oh well," Alexis turned to retreat toward the stairs. "Guess I wasn't meant to wear this after all."

On instinct, Sonny caught her wrist. "Wait."

She wondered how the big, bad mobster had baby-soft hands. "Yes."

"I'll take you out." He eyed her in an obvious manner. "You look way too beautiful to keep locked inside."

"I don't know, Sonny. You are my client. We probably shouldn't..."

"We're just a couple of friends having a good time." Sonny smiled a dimpled smile that implied he was lying. He punctuated his sentence with a mischievous wink. "Besides, I'll be on my best behavior. I promise."

Sonny extended his hand which Alexis grudgingly accepted.

Against her better judgment, fifteen minutes later, she found herself in the backseat of Sonny's limo. She made certain she kept her distance, which wasn't lost on Sonny.

"Alexis, I'm not going to bite...unless you want me too." He chuckled.

Alexis shot him a dirty look then scooted a little closer to him on the seat.

"Seriously, just relax. We're friends. That's not going to change just because you got on a heart stopping dress." It would take more than a dress to change the nature of their relationship. Sonny knew he was going to have to convince her he was the man of her dreams, which given his line of work was going to be difficult

Relaxing was easier said than done with Sonny smelling so good. After fifteen minutes of pure torture they arrived at what looked like an abandoned warehouse. Alexis was suddenly very curious. "Where are we?"

"The No Name."

Despite her misgivings Alexis followed him inside. Much to her surprise, behind the facade was a restaurant with gorgeous interior. Men from the wrong side of the law decorated by young women in spandex filled the tables. A handsome maître d' greeted them warmly and led them to their table.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" Alexis whispered to Sonny.

"Because you're the most beautiful woman in the room." Sonny meant what he'd said. No doubt, she was the smartest and the funniest, but she wouldn't believe him if he told her.

The presentation of their dinner was comparable to any five-star restaurant Alexis had ever visited. And the food melted in her mouth. "This is the best meal I've ever tasted."

"Just wait until I make you dinner."

"You cook this well?"

"'Lexis, I do everything well." Sonny grinned. "I can't wait to show you some of my other skills."

"You are shameless." They chuckled in unison.

Although Sonny was a notorious flirt, Alexis had to admit she enjoyed the attention. Since her breakup with Ned, she'd been preoccupied. As much as she hated to admit it Sonny, Carly and Jason had been a welcome distraction. Tonight, she even managed to feel beautiful.

At the conclusion of their meal, Sonny led her to a small dance floor in front of a five-member band. With a nod he managed to signal to the bandleader he'd like to hear a salsa number. After a few steps, Alexis could tell dancing was just another thing he did well. And she could also tell he was surprised she could keep up.

Once again, Sonny signaled to the bandleader and the music became slow and dreamy. Before she could blink, Sonny had her wrapped in his arms where he held her tightly. They began to sway to the music.

Alexis almost let herself give in and enjoy the moment. Almost. "Sonny, I think I should get home. I'm a little tired."

Sonny could tell something was wrong. For starters, Alexis was quiet. On the way back to the Penthouse, he asked "Are you okay?"

She simply nodded.

He walked her to her door. Something had her worried and as a result, he was worried, too. A survivor himself, he knew not to push. "How about a good night hug?"

"I'd like that." She rested in his warm embrace. Before he left, he kissed her forehead and stroked her hair.

She entered her Penthouse. To her surprise, Carly was waiting up for her.

"Carly, I know you faked Michael's fever so I'd have to go out with Sonny alone. But I implore you to stop. Nothing can happen between us."

"And I know why." Carly had stumbled across some unexpected information that evening. She pulled an unopened pregnancy test from behind her back.

"Carly, you have to pretend you didn't see that. If you say a word to anyone, it could ruin everything. Promise me, please." Tears the size of raindrops began to stream down Alexis's face. Her body shook involuntarily.

"Alexis, calm down." Carly moved to the sofa and gestured for Alexis to join her. Alexis was the strongest woman she knew and yet her reaction seemed extreme, even for Alexis. "Alexis, if you're pregnant, you don't have to stay with Ned. I'm sure Jason and Sonny can find enough on him to keep him away from you."

Without intending to she blurted, "Carly, if I'm pregnant; Ned is not the father."


	8. Chapter 8

**Without Hate - Chapter 8**

_A/N: This one is mostly Alexis and Carly. The next chapters will focus on Sexis with Jarly._

Sonny gazed out of his Penthouse window. Images of Alexis flashed through his mind: the dress, the hair, her scent, her laugh. Physically, he ached for her. And yet, they'd never even kissed.

It had been torture holding her so closely on the dance floor, pretending to be content with only their friendship when he wanted so much more. She'd been preoccupied this evening and he couldn't help but wonder why. Every instinct he had screamed at him to go next door and hold her; to promise her that no matter what the problem, he'd fix it.

Jason descended the stairs. For a moment, he stood and watched Sonny, trying to determine what made him so somber. "Hey, did you have a good time with Alexis?"

"Yeah." Sonny rubbed the stubble on his face.

Never one to press, Jason waited.

On cue, Sonny continued. "Something's got her spooked. Wish I knew what it was."

"She'll tell you eventually." Jason patted Sonny's back. "Alexis means a lot to you, huh?"

"Yeah, we're friends."

Jason chuckled. "Right, just like me and Carly."

In Penthouse two, Carly and Alexis were having their own discussion.

"Why are you so freaked out that you might be pregnant? Trust me; having a kid's not that bad. I'll even let you share Leticia."

A small, sad chuckle escaped from Alexis's lips. "I wish it were that simple. I did something very wrong; something I totally regret."

"What could be so wrong?"

"I betrayed a friend."

"Betrayed a friend? You're not carrying Jase's baby are you? I've tried to ignore the looks I've seen between you." Carly propped her hands on hr hips.

Confusion etched across Alexis's brow. "What looks? I don't look at Jason."

"Why not? You think Jase's ugly?"

"Of course not. He's very handsome."

Carly suddenly looked like the cat that ate the canary. "Aha! I knew it! You do have a thing for Jase."

Alexis felt her patience wear thin. "No! Carly, IF I'm pregnant it's not Jason's. Jason kind of reminds me of the younger brother I never had."

"Good. Anything else I'm more than happy to help you get through." Carly may have been a new visitor to the girlfriends' camp, but she was only willing to make so many sacrifices for the cause. "So, how did you get knocked up?"

"I don't think I can say it out loud. You know I've never been impulsive. Playing by the rules is a good thing. The one time I do something I absolutely should not have...wait, there was the whole stupid thing with Luke, but that was more about illegality than morality."

"What thing with Luke?"

Alexis felt her face drop. "Forget you heard that."

Carly thrust her hands on her hips. "Will you just spill?"

Alexis shook her head, "no". "I'm afraid that once I say it, my life is going to speedball out of control."

"You might as well tell me. I've done enough that I can't judge anyone. Besides I'll find out anyway; trust me."

Alexis nodded. "It was one time; the night before I moved in here. Ned and I were fighting. He hadn't touched me in weeks. We never meant for anything to happen, but I guess we were attracted to each other." She let out a sob. "It never should have happened. Chloe is my best friend. She loves him and I should have never...but one thing led to another."

"Jax?" Carly's face remained expressionless.

Alexis nodded as she tried to fight back tears.

"So, your big secret is you might be pregnant by your ex-husband?"

Slowly, Alexis nodded.

"You are the most pathetic bad girl ever." Carly always assumed Alexis and Jax were sleeping with each other during their so-called marriage of convenience. So, Alexis's big revelation felt a bit anti-climatic.

"Chloe never slept with Ned while they were married."

"I don't blame her. I wouldn't have either." The thought made Carly's stomach turn. Ned was the most self-righteous man she'd ever met.

Alexis frowned at her.

"So why is having sex with Jax the end of the world?" Carly honestly didn't understand.

"Because, if Chloe ever finds out, it will wreck my friendship with her; it will ruin her relationship with Jax; it will ruin Jax's relationship with Ned and it will change things between me and Jax forever. I don't even want to think about what would happen if I'm pregnant."

"So don't." Tugging on her arm, Carly pulled Alexis up from the sofa. "You need to get some sleep. We'll deal with this in the morning."

Alexis drug herself slowly toward the stairs before she turned and surprised Carly with a hug. "Thanks."

Carly felt the tears well in her eyes. She hadn't felt this close to another woman in many years. In her mind, she vowed she'd help Alexis get through this, no matter what happened.

Morning broke and Alexis prepared herself to leave the fate of her future to a small plastic stick. She left the bathroom, too nervous to wait the required five minutes for the test results. Carly paced at the bottom of the stairs.

"Well?"

"Nothing yet."

Both women were surprised by the knock at the door. For a moment, they remained frozen; until they heard the knock again.

Alexis called out. "Who is it?"

"Chloe." The voice responded.

"Crap." Carly looked around frantically. "What should we do?"

Without a word, Alexis walked to the door and opened it. The moment she saw Chloe's tear-stained face, a chill ran up her spine. "Chloe, what's wrong?"

A sniffle came before a reply. "Jax and I had a huge blow-up."

Alexis invited Chloe in. On the off chance Chloe might like to use the restroom, Carly made an excuse and headed upstairs.

Chloe did her best to compose herself. "I don't think things are going to work out between us."

"Why?"

"He's keeping something from me. I think there may be someone else." Chloe had felt a distance between her and Jax for the last couple of months. He denied it, but she could tell even her questions made him uncomfortable.

Guilt rose from the pit of Alexis's stomach to the middle of her throat. "One thing I'm sure of is Jax loves you."

"I thought you and Ned loved each other too. Maybe the best thing to come out of our phony marriages was that we found out that none of us were supposed to be together."

"Just because it didn't work out between me and Ned doesn't mean you and Jax can't make it."

Chloe waved Alexis's words away. "I'm too tired to fight, Alexis. Jax's parents hate me and we always seem to have some obstacle in our way. I need some time away." She released a deep breath. "I came by to tell you, I'm going back to Europe...at least for a few months."

"What if I don't want you to go?" Momentarily forgetting about the messy situation that possibly lurked in the distance, tears flowed heavily from Alexis's eyes. She and Chloe had been through quite a bit together.

"The car downstairs is waiting to take me to the airport. I promise I'll keep in touch." Chloe stood and embraced her friend before she headed through the door.

Alexis leaned her back against the door. The tears flowed faster than she could wipe them from her eyes. Carly's raspy voice soon invaded her thoughts.

"Hey, you okay?" Carly called from the bottom step.

Alexis's eyes focused on the white plastic stick in Carly's hands. "You tell me."


	9. Chapter 9

**Without Hate - Chapter 9**

Carly moved toward Alexis with a very measured gait. When she was no more than a few feet in front of her she finally spoke. "These things can be wrong, you know. I could run down to the drug store and buy a couple of different ones."

Alexis took the stick from Carly and looked at the plus sign which seemed to represent the cross she now had to bear. "Don't bother. I was pretty sure when I bought it. It's been two months. I guess I was kidding myself by hoping it was something else."

Alexis sank into the sofa. Curling herself into a ball, she began to cry softly. The last thing she wanted was to be pregnant; the absolute last thing. Moreover, she really didn't want to be pregnant by Jax; yet, he was one of her best friends and so she only had one choice. It would be criminal to deprive John and Lady Jane of their first grandchild; not to mention in her heart she knew Jax would be a wonderful dad. So, she would simply have to put her own wants and desires aside and make room for this new life.

"What do you want me to do?" Carly felt a panic rise up inside her.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Alexis composed herself. "I'm fine Carly. I just needed a minute. I guess I better go call my doctor."

Carly watched as Alexis ascended the stairs. Nervously, she bit her nails. She was so preoccupied she didn't hear Jason and Sonny enter the Penthouse.

"Carly, Carly," Jason called until she turned around. "What are you doing with the door unlocked?"

"What? Oh, sorry." She wrinkled her nose, not realizing it was something Jason found extremely adorable. "Do you think you guys can come back later? Alexis and I are in the middle of something."

"You're not causing her any trouble? Are you, Carly?" Sonny's tone was a bit harsh.

"Sonny, can you wait until Carly actually does something before you yell at her?" While it was true Jason had fallen for a bit of a troublemaker; she was still the woman he loved.

He turned toward Carly, "What's going on?"

Before she could speak, an outwardly cheery Alexis came down the stairs. "Nothing's wrong. Carly is just being overly dramatic. I'm fine."

As Sonny moved toward her; he examined her with his eyes. "You sure you're okay? You looked flushed."

"I'm fine."

"You call a doctor?"

"On my list of things to do."

"If you don't want to go to the doctor, I can give my doctor a call. He still makes house calls; completely confidential."

"Really, I'm fine." Alexis rolled her eyes at the thought of a "mob doc" checking her out. "Now what can I do for you gentlemen?"

"We just stopped by to see if you ladies wanted to go to Kelly's with us for breakfast?" Sonny punctuated his sentence with a pair of dimples. For some reason this irritated Alexis more.

"Ooh. I'd love to, but I can't." She faked cheeriness. "I just called Jax and he's on his way over."

Despite several protests from Carly and her insistence that she should stay with Alexis, Carly left with Sonny and Jason.

Jax arrived fifteen minutes later. He was in complete white knight mode. Before Alexis could get two words out of her mouth, he told her that he learned Chloe was on her way to Europe. "Alexis, I couldn't tell her about us; not without talking to you first. I feel like I took advantage of you."

"You didn't." Alexis sighed and ran her hands over her face. "We were consenting adults who made a mistake that can wind up hurting a lot of people."

He grabbed her hands. "I will not let what happened wreck our friendship or yours with Chloe. I'm on my way to Paris now to find her and make things right; if not between Chloe and me, then between the two of you."

"Jax..." Alexis didn't know how to tell him, but she knew she had to. "I need to say something."

He touched her cheek. "Alexis, don't. I don't want to start calling what happened between us a mistake. And I don't want us to say anything that might cause us to hurt each other. We slept together the night before our divorce was finalized, which means our marriage was more than a game. As much as I hate that Ned and Chloe are going to be hurt when they find out; I'm happy to know a little of what we had was real."

Alexis nodded unable to speak. Jax kissed her on the forehead then went charging off to restore order to the universe. Only he couldn't know his efforts would be futile. She had a bombshell that would blow everyone involved out of the water. How could he know when she hadn't told him?

"You didn't tell him?" Carly asked later that evening. She raised an eyebrow. Her goody-two-shoes roommate would never cease to surprise her.

Alexis truly wanted to tell him, but she couldn't handle Jax's knight-in-shining armor routine or picking out baby names that started with "J;" not this early. "Do you think I'm horrible?"

"Nah. I got AJ drunk and threw him in a laundry hamper at the hospital when I found out I was pregnant."

Carly's honesty was enough to make Alexis smile. Her smile lasted only seconds before she became somber again. "Promise me you won't say anything; not even to Jason."

"I promise."

Carly did her best to keep the promise she made Alexis that Friday. However, when Sunday evening rolled around and Alexis hadn't left her room for two days, Carly began to be frightened. She took Michael and headed next door, interrupting Sonny and Jason in a game of cards.

Jason knew the second she walked through the door that she was scared. He was always relieved when she came to him instead of formulating a plan. "Carly, what's wrong?"

"It's Alexis. She's still in her room. She hasn't left since Friday."

Sonny felt a surge of anger power through his veins. "Is she really that sad about Candyboy leaving?"

"No, it's not that."

"Then what's wrong with her?" Sonny stared at Carly in an effort to intimidate her. She remained silent.

"Carly, do you know what's wrong with Alexis?" Jason helped her sit on the sofa beside him.

"I promised not to tell."

"Is she sick?" Sonny grew more concerned. He hadn't seen her since Friday, but after the abrupt ending to their Thursday night date; he'd figured he should give her some space.

Carly fidgeted. "Not technically. It's just, she's not eating and it's really important for her to eat something right now."

The wheels began to turn in Sonny's head. Alexis had been very tired during their last few meetings. And it seemed she'd been a little nauseous at times. Alexis was pregnant. Jax had probably encouraged her to tell Ned and she decided she'd rather spend the rest of her life behind a locked door then to contemplate co-parenting with Ned. "Hey, you two stay here. I'll make sure Alexis eats."

"When should I come back?" Carly wondered.

"Tomorrow."

Within the half hour, Sonny and his groceries were in Alexis's kitchen. But before he started dinner he fired up a decoy: a bag of microwave popcorn.

Alexis emerged in the kitchen a few minutes later while Sonny was chopping vegetables. Her pajamas were black silk, even though the temperature was nearly 75 degrees outside. Her hair was a bit unkempt. "Sonny, what are you doing here?"

"Carly was worried about you. She said you hadn't eaten in two days."

"She's being melodramatic. I've been busy." Alexis propped herself up in a chair next to the kitchen counter.

"Yeah, I can tell." As he eyed her, she felt a wave of embarrassment.

Alexis reached for the bag of microwave popcorn, which Sonny moved quickly out of the way.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was coarse.

"That's for later when we have our long talk. You'll ruin your dinner if you eat that stuff. You need to eat real food." He didn't look at her, but continued to move about the kitchen grabbing ingredients from the refrigerator. When he was near Alexis's grasp, she caught his arm.

"I need to eat? Long talk? Carly told you, didn't she?" Alexis felt the heat rise to her face.

"That you're pregnant? No, I figured it out based a couple of things. Carly's actually pretty loyal to you. I didn't know she could be loyal to anyone but Jason."

Alexis released her hold on his arm. "I don't want to talk."

"And I don't want you to talk right now. You and I don't have the best luck in the kitchen together. First, you shower, then we eat, then we talk."

Her eyes pleaded with him. "Can't you just let it go?"

"If it was me not eating or sleeping, would you?"

"Fine." Alexis slid off the stool and headed toward the shower. She returned wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail. Sonny smiled, he had dated a lot of women since Brenda; yet, none of them endeared him the way she was able to do in sweats. When she sat at the table, Sonny placed a steaming hot bowl of paella in front of her.

"My mom used to make this for me. My great grandmother from Spain used to make it for her."

"What is it?"

"Paella de pollo."

"It's delicious." Alexis allowed the flavors to roll over her tongue. She eyed him suspiciously. How could a man who was that sexy cook so well? Danger might as well be stamped on his forehead in bright red letters. She thought it best to change the subject in her mind. "Your mom taught you to cook?"

"Mostly, I learned from Lois's mom. Paella was the only thing my mom knew how to make." He chuckled.

After dinner, he grabbed the popcorn and led her to the sofa. His hand patted the place beside him on the sofa. Curling her legs beneath her, she sat quickly. The scent of his cologne wafted past her nose. For a minute, she thought she could hear the sound of her own heart beating through her sweatshirt. The last thing she wanted right now was human contact with anyone. Next to last, was to talk about this predicament she now found herself in. She leaned back against the sofa, "You wanted to have a long talk; so talk."

"Okay," he cleared his throat. "I like you." He eyed the popcorn before he placed it in front of her. "Popcorn?"

"That's it? That's the long talk?" She sat up straight like an arrow.

"Yep." He placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her gently back against the sofa. In the process, he moved her closer to himself. "What else do you want me to say?"

"You like me?" She rolled her eyes. "What the heck does that mean?"

His fingers skimmed her hair. "It means, I think you are beautiful and intelligent and funny. It also means I like being around you and I'd like to do that more."

"Even though I'm carrying another man's child?"

His voice was whisper-soft, "what?"

In a staccato fashion, she began to repeat herself, "I'm carrying..."

His finger hushed her lips. "That's the only part of the sentence I care about. You are carrying a baby inside you. Alexis, any new life is beautiful. I care about you and I want to do anything I can to make this easier for you; if that means me keeping my distance, that's fine. But if it means me holding your hand every step of the way, then nothing would make me happier."

"Are you sure you mean that?"

"Yeah."

"Even if I tell you it's Jax's child I'm carrying?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Without Hate - Chapter 10**

Though Sonny had watched the words come from Alexis's mouth, he couldn't believe his ears. "Candyboy got you pregnant?"

Eyes nearly at the ground from embarrassment, Alexis nodded once.

Sonny hated the idea of Jax putting his hands on Alexis; particularly when he had not done so himself. And while it was true that she had been Jax's wife, Sonny had grown comfortable with the idea that theirs was only a marriage of convenience. "How did this happen?"

Sonny's voice rose higher than Alexis expected and caused a smirk to form on her mouth. "Sonny, you and I are both adult enough to know how this happened."

He took a deep breath and allowed his body to relax. "Yes, I know _how_ this happened. I guess I want to know _why_. Did he take advantage of you?"

"No, no, of course he didn't. We were living in close quarters and we were having problems with our significant others. One thing simply led to another."

Sonny's hand formed into a fist before he released it and stretched his fingers through his hair. "He made the first move, didn't he?"

"Sonny...." Alexis couldn't tell whether he was behaving like a jealous boyfriend or an overprotective older brother. Speaking of older brothers, she released a breath as she thought about the reaction of her own older brother, Stefan.

"He did, didn't he?" Sonny forced a fake smile. "I'm just curious. You can tell me. It's no big deal. See." He pushed his two index fingers into his dimples to punctuate how cheery he was.

"Fine. He kissed me first. Are you happy?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"No." Nothing could have made him less happy. With a tensed jaw, he leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. "I knew he took advantage of you. I just wanted you to admit it."

"I didn't admit anything of the sort."

Sonny breathed loudly. "What is it about that guy that makes women want to protect him?"

Alexis began to laugh. "He always asks the same thing about you." After a few moments, she became more serious. "Do you see why you and I can only be friends? In addition to certain ethical differences you and I have, you and Jax hate each other and now I'm carrying his child..." Her voice trailed off.

"Hey, hey..." his voice was calming. "Jax is your baby's father. Your baby is not Jax. He is just an innocent little person who will want to be loved."

"He, huh?" Alexis smiled. She hadn't yet thought of her baby as much more than something ambiguous that was threatening to change her life.

"Yeah, I just got a feeling." Words could not express how much he envied Jax at that moment. Alexis was carrying his boy. "Are you guys going to give it a try for the baby's sake?"

Alexis shook her head, "no." She hadn't even considered that Jax might want to. "I hadn't gotten that far, but no. Jax and I love each other, but we're not in love."

Sonny couldn't help smiling. Alexis said the words he'd longed to hear. He could even afford to throw the man a bone. "Jax must have been really excited when you told him." He watched as Alexis seemed to be searching for the right words to say. She was taking too long. "He doesn't want the baby? That son of a..."

"Sonny!" she snapped him from his mounting rage. "I haven't told him, yet." Once again, she dropped her head. "I just couldn't. I found out two hours before he jumped on a plane to save the day."

"Do you know where he went?"

"Yes."

"And wherever it is, he can't get a signal on his cell phone?" Sonny may not have liked the guy, but even still he should know. "He'd probably like to know he's gonna be a father."

Meeting him eye to eye, Alexis spoke softly. "I can't exactly call Jax up and tell him the joyous news. This baby certainly wasn't planned and neither of us was expecting this."

Something about her eyes screamed sadness. Sonny hoped he hadn't presumed incorrectly that she planned to keep the baby. "Are you...Have you made any plans about what you're going to do?"

Uncertain initially of what Sonny was asking, Alexis paused for a moment. Then it hit her. "Oh you want to know if...Yes, I'm going to have the baby. I won't know what I'm doing, of course. And knowing my track record with babies, my own child will probably crawl away from home before she can run."

"She?" Sonny raised his eyebrows.

"Gut feeling." Alexis shrugged.

He took her hand in his own. "I have another gut feeling. I think you are going to be a great mother, Alexis. Michael already loves you and the two of you haven't been hanging out that long. Besides, I'll be around to help you."

"You'll help me?" She watched as he nodded. "Even though nothing romantic can happen between us?"

"Absolutely." Sonny hated the sound of that, but he would respect her wishes. Of course, should she change her mind..."Anything you need."

She squeezed his hand. "Thanks."

Morning slipped into Penthouse two before either of them knew it. Both remained on the sofa. Some time during the night, Alexis finally relaxed enough to rest her head on his shoulder.

Carly and Jason tip-toed into the Penthouse; both were careful not to wake Sonny or Alexis. As Carly observed the two, she gushed. Pictures began to flash through her mind: Sonny and Alexis kissing; she and Jason marrying; Sonny and Alexis marrying; Michael playing with Alexis's little one. She hoped the duo were on their way to coupledom. If not, she'd be happy to help them get there.

Jason knew the expression Carly wore. "Carly, whatever it is you're thinking, don't."

"He's right." Sonny surprised him. He hadn't been asleep. Sleep was simply something he didn't do well. "Alexis and I are friends; you should leave it alone."

"She will." Jason promised despite Carly's silent objection.

Something about Sonny's visit seemed to change Alexis, in Carly's estimation. Alexis, who had once been freaked-out at the idea of becoming a mother, now seemed to be warming to it. She even caught her reading Parents magazine, once or twice.

A week or so later, Carly decided to find out what else Alexis was warming to. "So, you seem better. Seems as though talking to Sonny helped."

"It did." Alexis smiled before returning her focus back to her laptop.

"I bet he'd be a great dad."

Alexis allowed her pen to drop against the desk. "Carly, this baby has a father, remember. I don't know how he's going to take the news, but I do know Jax will be a wonderful father."

Carly rolled her eyes at the thought of Jax interfering with her plans of best pals and babies.

Alexis sighed. "It's too early to think about any of that. Right now, I have to focus on keeping Jason out of prison. A.J. refuses to drop the charges and he's alleging that Jason kidnapped Michael with your assistance. So far, we're okay because A.J. served you with notice that he was seeking custody after Jason was out of town. He's got to prove Jason knew about the order and he conspired with you to keep Michael out of the country."

"So why not come after me instead?"

"Because he's so jealous of Jason he can't see straight. If he insists on pursuing this, you and Jason may have to get married to keep from testifying against each other."

For a minute, Carly believed she could hear an Angelic choir. Jason might have to marry her. She loved this woman. If Carly weren't straight and madly in love with Jason, she'd have begun to think she had a crush on Alexis, mostly because it seemed Alexis had the power to make her dreams come true. "You are the best lawyer ever. Me and Jase getting married? You can be my maid of honor."

Alexis pushed back her chair and watched Carly. She was in complete shock at her roommate's new found glee. "Carly, you'd actually be okay with Jason marrying you, not because he wanted to, but because he had to?"

"I'll take him any way I can get him." Carly did a twirl before landing on the sofa. "A.J.'s like a dog with a bone. He'll never drop this. I'm going to be Jason Morgan's bride."

Alexis couldn't stifle the laugh that had been fighting to get out. "You are amazing." She checked her watch. "Hey, I'm late for an appointment with Dr. Meadows. Maybe we can order in when I get back." Alexis was out of the door like lightening.

Carly was still daydreaming when she heard a knock on the door twenty minutes later. It was Sonny, who was clearly disappointed when she answered the door. He perked up when Carly fed him a fictitious story about Alexis needing some very important information on a notebook she left behind. Chivalrous to a fault, volunteered to deliver the notebook to her.

Sonny arrived at the front desk and asked for directions to Dr. Meadow's office, before he saw his business partner, Luke Spencer, standing nearby. Intrigued by Sonny's inquiry, Luke left his argument with none other than Stefan Cassadine and decided to give him a hard time. "Corinthos, you asking for Dr. Meadows? Who'd you get knocked up?"

"Funny Spencer."

With timing more perfect than she could have known, Alexis approached Sonny. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Well..."

Dr. Meadows approached, oblivious to the land mine she was igniting. She attempted to speak softly. "Alexis, here are the vitamins we spoke about. Take one every morning."

Alexis nodded, secretly hoping no one other than Sonny knew what Dr. Meadows placed in her hand.

No sooner than she had gone, Luke's smile broadened as wide as Montana. "Natasha, are you carrying the Don's successor? Say it ain't so."

Stefan froze. For a full a minute, he was unable to blink. Perhaps this was one of those American trick-playing days, like on the first of April; except according to Stefan's calculations, it was now the middle of September. He stared at Alexis intently before he spoke. "For the first time in my life, I have to agree with Spencer: Please tell me he's wrong."


	11. Chapter 11

**Without Hate - Chapter 11**

When Jason entered the Penthouse, Carly was sitting on the sofa with a goofy grin plastered on her face. Immediately, he reached to take Michael from her arms. When she barely noticed him, he began to worry. "Carly, what's going on?"

"Nothing." She beamed. She thought about the prospect of becoming Jason's wife to spare him from prison; then she made a mental note to provoke AJ soon, so that he'd be certain to pursue the criminal case. Next she thought about Alexis at her first appointment with Dr. Meadows. Sonny had probably arrived and by now they were gushing over the prospect of becoming parents together. "I'm just excited because for once everything is going to workout perfectly."

Jason studied her face: her crooked smile and the crinkled nose. He knew that look and it terrified him more than staring down the barrel of a loaded gun: Carly had a plan. "What did you do?"

"Jase, what do you mean, 'what did I do?' Why do you always assume I'm doing something wrong?"

"I know that look. You have a plan. What did you do?"

Carly placed her hands on her hips. "You know Jase, if this is going to work out between us you're going to have to start giving me the benefit of the doubt."

"Carly!"

"Fine." She rubbed her hand against his cheek. "I just helped Sonny and Alexis get a little closer."

Jason felt his blood begin to boil. "Carly, you promised to stay out of it!"

"No, **you** promised, I'd stay out of it. Alexis is my friend and she's got a thing for Sonny. So, I'm going to help her get him." She wrapped her arms around his waist only to have him push her away. "Jase calm down. Right now, they're probably gazing into each others eyes, picking out baby names."

No sooner than Carly finished her sentence, Alexis burst through the door with Sonny following close behind. "I can't believe you!" She stopped just short of yelling.

"You tell me what I was supposed to do?"

"Well, what you weren't supposed to do was make my brother believe I was carrying your child."

"I told you that was Luke's fault."

Fire blazed from Alexis's eyes. "Don't you dare mention that man's name in my presence."

"He was trying to keep you safe."

Alexis simply glared at Sonny. "I expect you to be gone when I get back." She stomped her feet against the stairs before slamming her bedroom door. A moment later, Carly flew up the stairs behind her.

Jason stared at the stairs where Alexis marched a few seconds earlier. He made a mental note to never cross her. "What happened?"

Sonny moved toward the stairs to make certain Alexis was out of earshot. When he was sure, he burst into laughter. He began to explain how he arrived at the hospital just as Alexis was leaving her appointment. He told Jason how Luke immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion and about Stefan's horrified reaction. Alexis had chosen to speak to Stefan alone. At the same time, he told Luke he wasn't the father. Then Luke confided in him. Luke told him Alexis would be in danger if Helena or even Stefan believed she was carrying an heir to the Cassadine fortune. Luke reminded him how even Stefan fought Alexis the previous year about her claim as Mikkos's heir.

Sonny continued, "Luke insisted it was safer if the Cassadines believed Alexis was carrying my baby and protected by the force of the organization. I told him I didn't have a problem with it. He told me to let him handle it. So he walked up to Stefan and said, "'Can you believe it? The soon to be mafia princess is the result of Natasha and the Don doing the horizontal mambo in an interview room at the PCPD. So much for the Cassadine legacy.'"

Jason couldn't help but laugh. "Poor Alexis."

"Poor Alexis nothing. I had to pull her off Spencer. I seriously thought she was going to strangle him. In the car she told me, she'd just about convinced Stefan that she'd just had a routine checkup and needed to take supplements when Luke piped up."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Hey, don't worry about it. Alexis can't stay mad forever."

Sonny was partially right. Somehow Alexis couldn't manage to stay angry with Carly. Maybe it was because of Carly's childlike need for her approval or maybe it was because Carly was the only person who could truly understand the position she was in.

Sonny was a different story. Soon he learned he had greatly underestimated the length of time for which Alexis could stay angry. A week and a half later, he had a better understanding of what it meant to have a Cassadine temper.

One thing Alexis hadn't realized was that there were limits to Sonny's patience. Two weeks of the cold shoulder demanded desperate measures. And so, one evening, Alexis was surprised by a loud banging on her door.

When the door swung open, she was surprised to see none other than Sonny's bodyguard, Johnny. He looked panicked as though something was wrong.

"Miss Davis, you have to come quick."

"What is it Johnny?"

"It's Mr. C. he's hurt."

"Where is he?"

"Next door, you have to come now."

"Did you call for help?" Alexis quickly scanned her desk for her phone.

"There's no time for that." Johnny ushered her gently across the hall to Penthouse 4.

She took a deep breath afraid of what she might find and entered the Penthouse. What she saw left her gasping in disbelief. Sonny stood before her in a black suit, next to a fully decorated table complete with a four course feast. Johnny closed the door behind her.

"I don't understand. Johnny said you were hurt."

"I was hurt." He smiled fully displaying his dimples. "My feelings have been deeply wounded."

She opened the door, only to find Johnny blocking it. She slammed it. "This is tantamount to false imprisonment."

"You're free to go...as soon as we talk."

"Sonny, do you understand why I'm angry? I hadn't planned on telling anyone about the baby, yet. Now, both my brother and Luke Spencer, of all people know I'm pregnant. Worse yet, they think I'm having your baby."

Sonny dropped his head. "I told Luke the baby isn't mine. That's what I was trying to tell you. Luke knew the truth before he said that stuff to Stefan." He paused for a minute. "Would having my baby really be the worst thing in the world?"

Alexis felt the heat rise to her face. In her mind, she saw images of Sonny helping her get acquainting with Michael a few weeks back. She sighed. "Of course not, I'm sure you will be a wonderful father one day. Stefan believing you're the father is the worst thing because it's not true. It just gives me one more thing to have to explain to Jax when he gets back. Sonny, the two of you hate each other. This isn't going to help."

Sonny sighed. "Who's going to protect you from Helena until Jax gets back? Stefan? The way I understand it, the two of you are about as close as me and Mike. I don't want you to feel like you have to do this on your own. I'm sorry if I made things more difficult for you, but I'm not sorry for wanting to keep you safe."

"Don't worry about it; I'll call Stefan in the morning Alexis couldn't help smiling. "Let me guess, this is part of your code."

"Yeah." Sonny chuckled. "Are we okay?"

"We will be if you tell me that having Luke beaten within an inch of his life is also a part of your code."

Sonny laughed loudly. "I'll see what I can do. Now, let's eat. You haven't lived until you've tasted my fettuccini."

As much as Alexis hated to admit it, Sonny was right; he was an amazing cook. After seconds, she felt as though Sonny might have to roll her back across the hall. Always the gentleman, Sonny walked her across the hall. They were both surprised to hear Carly's raised voice.

"I told you she's not here. You may be my former Steppop but I want you out." Carly demanded.

Sonny opened the door to see Carly holding a fireplace poker in the air, pointed at the direction of none other than Alexis's brother, Stefan.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Hello everyone. This chapter is a little more drama and a little less humor than usual. Also, although Jarly is absent in this one, they'll be present next chapter. I hope you enjoy. And I love hearing feedback, so if you get a second, please reply._

**Without Hate - Chapter 12**

Alexis could barely grasp the scene before her eyes. She looked from Carly to Stefan to Luke. Sonny's hand rested against the small of her back, almost willing her strength to sort through the madness. "Stefan, what are you doing here?"

"At present, I'm defending my life against this mad woman."

Carly shoved the poker a little more in his direction. "Funny when you barged in here, you said you were going to save Alexis from 'her entanglement with this group of miscreants,' whatever that means." If she hadn't been furious, Alexis would have laughed at Carly's impersonation of Stefan. "He actually tried to go upstairs and get your stuff."

Alexis threw her hands on her hips. "You did what?"

"You belong at Wyndemere, not here."

Alexis shook her head in disgust. "My friends are here. Besides Wyndemere is no place to bring up a child."

"So, it's true. So, you are carrying Corinthos's child?"

Luke piped up, hoping to aggravate the situation. "I told you Vlad, it happened at the PCPD. They're now official members of the illustrious kinky handcuff club."

"Shut up Spencer." Alexis glared at him. "Why are you here?"

"To keep your very beautiful backside out of trouble." he smirked.

She took a deep breath then turned toward Sonny. "Can you please do something with him?"

"Yeah."

Sonny kissed Alexis on the cheek then motioned for Luke. Instinctively, she placed her hand on her cheek at the place where Sonny had kissed her. The move had surprised her, so did her enjoyment of his display of affection.

He turned toward her. "Alexis, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

With a nod from Alexis, Sonny and Luke headed to the kitchen. Almost on cue, Michael began to wail. Alexis assured Carly it was okay to check on him. Reluctantly, she placed the poker back in the holder and headed upstairs.

"Now that we're alone Stefan, would you like to tell me why you have invaded my home?"

"For the reason I stated, I'm here to take you home to be with your family."

Alexis felt the warmth rise to her cheeks. "My family? Just last year, you refused to acknowledge my rightful place in the family. Now, you'd like to take me to the mausoleum you call a home where I do what? Ask Mrs. Lansbury to prepare me tea and crumpets while I wait for Helena to slip through a tunnel and kill me and my unborn child?"

Stefan imagined the names Helena would call Alexis when she learned of the pregnancy and of the baby's parentage. He also thought of the ways Helena would try to harm Alexis. "Are you certain you wish to go through with the pregnancy?"

Alexis felt a pain deep in her stomach. Stefan had just suggested she terminate the life of his own niece or nephew. "Are you seriously suggesting that I end my pregnancy? What are you afraid of? Do you think I'm going to challenge Nicholas's right as the sole heir to the Cassadine legacy? Don't worry Stefan, the baby's father and I can provide for him or her more than adequately."

Stefan was furious. He was furious with her for believing he was solely concerned with her child's birthright and not at all for her safely. More so, he was furious that she had aligned herself with those outside of her family. "You are choosing to do this once again? For the second time in your life, you're choosing to dishonor your very lineage for a relationship that can go nowhere?"

In the kitchen, Luke Spencer watched as his friend eyed the door, waiting for the moment to ride in and save Alexis. "If you're looking for a damsel in distress Corinthos, Natasha ain't it. That broad is all Cassadine. They kill for sport."

Once more, Sonny looked at the door then dropped his head. "She's not as tough as you think, Luke. She may be a Cassadine, but she's a woman. She gets scared, just like everyone else."

Luke stared at him for a moment. One look at his friend's face and he knew the truth. Luke slapped his forehead. "Come on Corinthos, Natasha?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You've got a thing for Natasha. What are you some kind of masochist? Her family is insane. Do you really want to deal with Count Vlad on a regular basis? How about his psychotic mother? You know Natasha will push you to get out of the organization. And you can forget about a woman like that ever going on the run."

"Luke...Alexis and I are friends."

"Don't bother trying to deny it, Corinthos. I saw that look with the model and then the FBI agent and now Natasha. What is it with you and the doe-eyed brunettes?"

"It's not like that this time." Alexis was shouting. She couldn't help herself. Once again, Stefan was implying that her judgment couldn't be trusted. Once again, he couldn't wait to remind her of her mistakes.

"You okay?" Sonny asked.

Alexis hadn't even heard him enter the room. She managed to nod.

"Tell you what Mr. Cass-a-dine." Sonny over-pronounced each syllable of his name. "I think Alexis should get some rest, which means you should leave."

Stefan did not acknowledge him, but instead continued to keep his gaze fixed on Alexis.

Luke now stepped forward. "Come on Vlad, let me show you to the stairs, maybe I can give you a swift kick down 'em."

Stefan moved his arm as Luke tried to grab it then he stated with an unwavering voice. "We are not finished, Alexis."

"Come on Vlad before the Don fits you with cement shoes."

As soon as the door closed, Sonny whispered softly, "Come here."

Immediately, Alexis folded herself into his arms. The tears came without much effort. Sonny held her tightly calming her occasionally with a well-placed, "Shh."

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

After a few minutes passed, he pulled back from her embrace. Cupping her cheeks in the palm of his hands, he wiped her tears with his thumbs. Then she looked up at him with her big brown eyes, which he knew would be the death of him someday. His right thumb moved to her lips, tracing their outline slowly, seductively.

Alexis wondered how they'd gotten to this place. This man, her friend with his dark, soulful eyes peering into the depths of her being, was holding her and she didn't want him to let go. She felt naked, exposed. And for the first time, she felt desire rock her to the core as it hadn't in such a long time.

She caught him with her eyes. She willed him to kiss her, practically demanded it with her gaze.

Then he whispered, "I should go."

She nodded slowly, almost in a daze.

As Sonny made his way to the door, Alexis heard Carly scream from the top of the stairs where she'd been spying. Her words betrayed Alexis's thoughts. "Sonny, what the he!! are you thinking? You can't go."


	13. Chapter 13

**Without Hate - Chapter 13**

As Sonny made his way to the door, Alexis heard Carly scream from the top of the stairs where she'd been spying. Her words betrayed Alexis's thoughts. "Sonny, what the he!! are you thinking? You can't go."

Both Sonny and Alexis turned to face Carly, completely dazed by her outburst.

Foolishly, she continued on. "What's your problem? You were going to kiss her. Why did you back off?"

"Carly, please!" Alexis felt as though her insides would erupt and she doubted it was due to morning sickness.

"What?" Carly plastered her hands to her hips. "I saw him standing there trying to turn you on, staring in your eyes and touching your mouth. Then suddenly he backs off. I know what he's trying to do: he wants to get you all hot and bothered so you'll be panting after him."

"Just how do you know that?" Sonny was growing increasingly irritated with Carly by the minute.

Yes, that was a game he'd played before, but not this time. He'd genuinely wanted Alexis in that moment, but he remembered she'd said they could only be friends. Her friendship meant the world to him and he wouldn't risk losing it by ignoring her wishes.

Carly half-smiled. "Because I've done it myself. How do you think I swiped Jase away from the ever so-drab and so-perfect Robin Scorpio?"

Alexis was aware of Sonny's affinity for Robin and of his less than fond feelings for Ms. Benson. She cautioned, "Carly, I really wouldn't go there if I were you."

"Look Lex," Carly was probably the only person on the planet who could get away with calling her, "Lex," because Alexis hated nicknames. "I won't let anyone screw you over not even the oh-so powerful Sonny Corinthos."

Both Sonny and Alexis couldn't help but smile at Carly's fierce protectiveness of Alexis, though she'd annoyed them both just minutes ago.

Alexis spoke up first. "Carly, I'm not the helpless innocent you think I am. Besides, this is really none of your business. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

Sonny shoved his hands in his pockets and peered at Alexis with a most innocent expression coupled with the deepest dimples he could summon. "Yeah, besides I have a code."

Alexis sighed loudly then flopped on the sofa. "What does your godforsaken code have to do with anything?"

He joined her on the sofa. "You're pregnant and you've got your hormones jumping all over the place. If I were to kiss you, it might seem like I was taking advantage of you. And I wouldn't want that, especially after you made it so clear that nothing could happen between us."

"Did that really just come out of your mouth? You're concerned about my pregnancy hormones?" Alexis shook her head at first, because she couldn't believe the chauvinistic sentiment underlying Sonny's statement. Then she smiled because underneath it all, Sonny was attempting to respect her wishes; the problem was she no longer knew if her wishes remained the same. "You are unbelievable, but what if--"

The trio was interrupted by a brief knock on the door which was followed by Jason's appearance. Immediately, he could tell he'd interrupted something. "What's going on?"

"Your girlfriend is minding other people's business." Sonny deadpanned.

"Carly." Jason sighed. He knew loving someone else would be easier, but it wouldn't be half the fun and it was no longer a possibility. "How many times have I told you to stay out of Sonny's way?"

"Jase, why do you always do that? You always take Sonny's side without even knowing my side of the story."

"But I know you."

Carly just shrugged then giggled before she landed at Jason's side. "You love me anyway, right Jase?"

"Yeah Carly," Jason shook his head. He was unable to hide the smile that was forming. "I guess I do."

"You know there's only one way to get me out of Sonny's way." In a flash Carly had Jason by the arm and was ushering him out of the doorway. "See you later Lex, I'm going to go mind my own business, if you know what I mean." She winked at Alexis which caused her to blush.

Alexis let out a small chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Sonny loved the way she would go from serious to jovial in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, I was just thinking how it was completely like Carly to create an uncomfortable situation and then bounce right out of the room."

"Yeah." Sonny fumbled with hands as he avoided Alexis's gaze. Then he looked up, catching her gaze. "Before Jason came in, you said, 'what if?'"

Alexis squirmed beneath his stare. "Oh you heard that, did you?"

Sonny nodded. "So, what were you going to say?"

Alexis looked down and noticed her own hands shaking. "I was going to say: what if I wasn't sure anymore that nothing could happen between us? I mean, don't get me wrong; the ink on my divorce is barely dry and I'm carrying Jax's baby, which he still doesn't know. And the two of you still hate each other. So, it would be wrong for me to imply that I'm ready to begin a new relationship. But I mean, I guess I don't see the harm in a casual kiss between us, here and there."

Alexis could feel her heart beat through her blouse as she spoke. She couldn't believe the words that had just come from her own mouth. Had she really just asked Sonny to kiss her?

"Did you just ask me to kiss you?" Sonny raised an eyebrow.

Alexis became flustered, which made Sonny smile. "No, no, I think I just implied that I wouldn't object if you kissed me, you know, only if the opportunity presented itself. But I certainly didn't ask you to kiss me."

"Alexis," Sonny stretched her name not knowing that she found it a bit of a turn on. "I think we need to clear up a couple of things. One, nothing between us has ever been casual, not even the first time we met."

"Yes, you irritated me that day." She couldn't tell him he'd intrigued her even as she was asking him to leave her table.

"I brought you flowers the next." Once again, Sonny flashed his dimples. He looked at her. This woman was the total package: beautiful, intelligent, sophisticated and tough as nails. Plus, she had legs that ran on for a mile. Alexis reminded him of the kind of woman he saw when he took his mother to the opera once when he was younger. Growing up in Joe Scully's organization didn't leave him a lot of room to think he might have a woman like Alexis. However, she just opened the door to the possibility and he wasn't about to let her close it. "As I was saying, nothing between us has been casual and I am absolutely sure that kissing you will lead to both of us wanting more."

Alexis felt herself shiver as Sonny stroked her cheek with his hand. Her mouth was met with his finger as she prepared to speak.

"I have no problem kissing you as many times as you ask me to."

"But I didn't ask you..." She protested, though she suspected she really had.

Sonny paid no attention to her denial. "And I'm more than happy to kiss you as many times as the opportunity presents itself, but I won't make love to you until you tell me it's what you want."

Alexis blushed in spite of her attempt at the contrary. She moved her face from his hand as she struggled to regain her composure. "You mean you won't make love to me unless I ask you to; until sounds a bit like a foregone conclusion, don't you think?"

"Alexis, one thing you should know about me by now is I mean exactly what I say." He inched closer to her. Again, he placed his palm on her cheek and brought her head toward his own. "We will be together, but I'm okay with it being on your terms."

She smiled because although her heart was racing, she had no desire to pull away. Her voice became a low purr, "Did you just call me easy or completely resistible?"

"Neither. You are amazing." His voice was coarse, but his hands were soft as they moved from her cheek to her neck. "Hey, do you hear that?" He looked around, still not moving far from her face.

"Do I hear what?" She asked, though she didn't look around.

"Opportunity knocking." He smiled. Then he brushed his lips against hers.


	14. Chapter 14

Without Hate – Chapter 14

Sonny's kisses were feather-light as his hands made their presence known in her hair. Alexis felt lightheaded as though she were intoxicated. He was gentle; yet, not devoid of passion. Alexis was surprised at the way Sonny made her feel. He kissed her as though he wanted her; yet, he didn't push. As they kissed, he waited for her to respond; he was careful not to overwhelm her.

Alexis wasn't the only one who was surprised, but it wasn't kissing her that surprised Sonny. Admittedly, he expected to be kissing his beautiful attorney someday. It may have seemed arrogant, but it was true. From the verbal gymnastics they played the first time he met her, he suspected they would be more than just attorney and client. What he hadn't expected was their friendship. He never knew he would come to value her presence in his life as much as he had. Everyday, he anticipated her smile, her laugh, and her opinion. Now, as he kissed her, these feelings for her, feelings he could not completely describe, began to intensify. His emotions surprised him as did Alexis when she slipped her tongue across his lip and into his mouth.

Her boldness made him lose a bit of his well-known control; their kisses intensified. Neither of them had any desire to stop. However, Alexis's cell phone had other ideas. Finally, after three rings, they separated.

"You should get that." Sonny whispered before placing a soft kiss at her ear.

Alexis didn't speak, she couldn't. She simply stared at Sonny and smiled before she ran a finger across his lips.

The phone continued to ring.

"Sounds important." Sonny smiled. Truth was he needed the distraction. If not, his previous speech about waiting until she explicitly stated she wanted him would have become fiction.

"Alexis Davis."

"Alexis, are you okay?" the familiar Aussie voice questioned. "You sound distracted."

His choice of words made her chuckle, though she still shifted in her seat. "Jax, I'm fine. Where are you?"

Sonny now regretted his prayer for a distraction. Softly, he said, "I should go."

"Jax, can you hold on a minute?" Alexis carefully placed the phone on mute. "Sonny, you don't have to go."

Jax's call was a large dose of reality Sonny hadn't been expecting. Jax was her ex and the father of her unborn baby, though Jax was still clueless about the latter. "Yeah, I got some things I need to take care of."

"See you tomorrow?" Alexis asked, her voice filled with hope.

"Yeah, yeah." He touched her cheek then left without a word.

In Penthouse Four, Jason and Carly were in the midst of a bit of a crisis. Jason's baby sister, Emily, one of the three Quartermaines he'd chosen to remain related to, had stopped by with what Jason believed to be wonderful news: It was beginning to look likely that AJ would drop the charges at his court hearing later that week. Apparently, Emily, Monica and Lila ganged up on AJ and demanded he consider Michael's best interests. There was one catch: he and Carly would have to agree to some sort of visitation with AJ. Because of the guards, Jason knew AJ would be supervised, even if a court didn't order supervision. Aside from that, he and Carly would be free to live their lives as a normal couple. He'd said just as much to Carly, expecting relief or some sort of happiness. Instead, worry crossed her brow.

"So, what does this mean for us, Jase?"

"It means we don't have to sneak around anymore. We can get a place together and raise Michael without being on the run."

"And how long are we going to do that until you get bored with us?"

"What are you talking about?"

"When Michael and me are safe from AJ, how long is it going to be until you need to rescue some other chick that needs help? I know your type, Jase, you know, like little Miss Helpless Elizabeth Webber or maybe you'll go save Dr. Robin "the Brave" Scorpio."

"Carly," he took her by her shoulders, "don't you understand there's no going back for me now? We're a family: you, me and Michael. You have to trust that. Please, don't do anything to mess this up."

"You promise me you're not going to get sick of me or want to get rid of me? Because if you do, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"I'm not going anywhere." Jason folded her into her arms and kissed the top of her head.

Their tender moment was interrupted by Sonny's entrance. "Hey, I don't mean to interrupt. I'll be in the kitchen."

Carly wiped the tears that had fallen from her eyes and put on the usual façade of toughness she wore around Sonny. "You don't have to go. I'm going to head across the hall and check on Michael."

"Maybe you should wait a couple of minutes. Alexis is talking to Jax." Sonny's expression changed in a way that neither Jason nor Carly could completely read.

"Jax is back?"

"No, they're on the phone."

Sonny didn't need to say another word before Carly disappeared against his advice.

Once she was gone, Sonny apologized again for the interruption. Jason explained that they'd just received some good news. He tried to explain Carly's reaction, but she'd confused him. Honestly, she confused him most of the time, he just learned he should roll with the punches.

"How's Alexis?"

Sonny shrugged. "She's good, I guess."

"You okay?"

"Yep." He rubbed the tension from his neck. "I don't know what I'm getting myself into man, but other than that I'm fine."

Jason laughed out loud. "Join the club because it's been a year with Carly and I still don't know."

Sonny leaned against the wall, "You and Carly were friends first, even though I still can't understand why. Is it worth it, you know, putting your friendship on the line?"

Jason walked to the desk drawer and pulled out a small velvet box. He popped the top and revealed a beautiful diamond engagement ring. "Does this answer your question?"

Much to her disappointment, Carly entered Penthouse Two just as Alexis hung up the phone. "So, what did Jax want?"

Alexis thought about ignoring her or telling her to mind her own business, but in the end, she knew Carly would pester it out of her. "He just called to say he hadn't made any headway with Chloe and he was going to be staying in Europe for a couple more weeks. He also mentioned he might have a surprise when he got back."

"What kind of surprise?"

"He didn't say."

"Won't be half as big as the surprise you have for him." Carly laughed as Alexis rolled her eyes. "Unless, you've changed your mind and decided just to let Sonny be the baby's father."

Alexis looked at Carly with amazement. "Carly, you just can't pick a baby's father like a designer purse."

"Sure you can."

"And when Sonny has a son who is blonde and six foot three at 15, no one is going to ask any questions, right?" Alexis began to laugh. When Carly barely managed a smile, Alexis became concerned. "Carly, is everything okay?"

"Do you think Jase is going to dump me?"

"What?"

"When this thing is all over with, do you think Jase is going to dump me?"

Alexis moved toward Carly and placed a hand on her shoulder. The gesture was poignant because neither woman was touchy-feely, at least not with their girlfriends. "Jason loves you and he will never hurt you. If he does, I'll kick his butt until he speaks in lengthy sentences."

The two friends began to laugh until their stomachs hurt. When they recovered, Carly smiled at Alexis, "I'm glad we're friends."

"Me, too."

"So friend, when were you going to tell me you kissed Sonny?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Without Hate - Chapter 15**

Sonny smiled as he trailed kisses down the length of Alexis's bare back. He inhaled her scent: vanilla and lavender. As he reached the curve of her lower back, he heard her giggle. He returned to her shoulder, nipping at it in the process.

"Sonny," she practically purred. "You have to get some sleep."

"Why?" He began to kiss her neck, then her jawline. "Sleep is overrated."

"Because you know this isn't real."

With a sigh, he moved from his side and lay flat on his back. "What do you mean this isn't real?"

He became alarmed when she didn't speak. "Alexis?" He turned to his side only to find she'd disappeared.

Sonny opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Once again, he had been dreaming. He wondered if he dare look at his alarm clock. At last glance, an illuminated, blue "5:30" stared back at him. What was it about Alexis? One kiss and she'd already taken over his brain. Sonny looked at his clock, which surprised him with an 8:00 a.m. reading. Deciding that sleep was too elusive to obtain, he grabbed a t-shirt and headed down the stairs.

In the living room of Penthouse four, Alexis was meeting with Jason about the details of the next day's hearing. Jason told her he had reason to believe the charges would be dropped.

"As long as it doesn't involve cement shoes or AJ's body in the trunk of a Crown Victoria, I'm all for a dismissal."

Jason chuckled. "Actually, we can thank Grandmother, Lila and Emily." He paused. "What do you know about Crown Victorias? Have you been watching The Sopranos again?"

Alexis laughed. "I don't watch the Sopranos or Goodfellas or The Godfather. I've got this crazy idea that ignorance is bliss." She immediately re-thought her previous statement when she glanced over her shoulder and saw Sonny coming down the stairs clad in his silk boxers. In his hand, he held a t-shirt. And for a moment, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to throw it into the fireplace or order him to put it on. With every step, she watched the movement of his muscular torso.

It was Jason's voice that brought her back to reality. "Earth to Alexis."

"Wh...What? Did you say something?"

Sonny looked across the room and noticed Alexis sitting on the sofa with Jason. At least he thought it was Alexis, after his dreams the night before he couldn't be sure. He pulled his shirt over his head and walked until he stood before her. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." She watched as he rubbed his eyes willing them to a more alert state. In his t-shirt with his curls falling free, he possessed the vulnerability of a young boy.

He eyed her in her ultra-professional, black business suit. His eyes followed the lines of the fitted skirt to her knees where it stopped. A smile formed as he saw the slender heels of the stilettos that always punctuated her legs. "Uh, I'm going to take a shower and make breakfast. You got a taste for something special?"

"Oh, I can't stay. I have a meeting with a client."

"You cheating on us, Miss Davis?"

"Hey, I never said we were exclusive. Besides, even if I have other clients, you know you're my favorite." She gave him a shy smile. "By the way, I have a favor to ask."

"Anything."

"I have an appointment with Dr. Meadows. It's for an ultrasound. I don't need you to go in with me or anything, I just need you to make an appearance at the hospital. You know, in case Stefan, or heaven-forbid Helena is around."

"I'll be there."

"But you don't know what time."

"Doesn't matter, I'll be there. Today, Ms. Davis, you are my priority."

"Thanks, I guess I'll see you at 3:30." Alexis felt giddy as she turned to leave. "See you later, Jason." She called as she exited.

After she left, Jason looked at Sonny who was still watching the door. "Wow, smooth even without hair gel." Jason laughed.

"Shut up." Sonny chuckled before he headed upstairs.

Alexis paused for a moment before she entered the Penthouse after her visit with her client. She was terrified about what awaited her on the other side of the door or rather whom: Carly. She took a deep breath. Last night, she'd managed to dodge Carly's questions about kissing Sonny.

_So friend, when were you going to tell me you kissed Sonny?"_

_"How did you know Sonny and I kissed? Do you have closed circuit cameras hidden in here?"_

_"Nope. I was just guessing. You are so busted."_

_"Dang it," Alexis thought. Carly tricked her. She was sneakier than most of her courtroom opponents. She'd have suggested law school, if Carly weren't more likely to break the law than to read it. Alexis clinched her teeth. _

_"So, how was it?"_

_"How was what? _

_"Kissing Sonny."_

_Soon the angelic sounds of Michael's screams rang out. Alexis looked toward the stairs, "Sounds like he needs to be changed. I'll take care of it. I need the practice." Alexis flew up the stairs, changed Michael for the fourth time in six weeks and then locked herself in her bedroom._

Now, all she needed to do was get inside, change her clothes and head to the hospital for her ultrasound. Alexis opened the door to the Penthouse and tip-toed toward the stairs.

"I'm still waiting to hear about last night with Sonny." Carly stifled a laugh as she watched Alexis jump sky-high at the sound her voice.

Alexis feigned innocence. "What are you talking about?"

"The kiss. The one you're holding out on telling me about."

"Are you going to stalk me until I do?"

"Duh."

"Fine. Sonny kissed me and I liked it."

"How much?"

"Enough."

"Enough how? Like, you liked it because you haven't seen any action since Jax left? Or was it one of those kisses that you know is going to change your life."

"Carly, you can't actually believe one kiss can change your life." Alexis leaned against the desk. She would have never pegged Carly for a romantic. A slight smile crossed her lips as she wondered who would have guessed.

"I knew from the second Jason kissed me, he was the one. Do you know we used to have sex without even knowing each other's names?"

"There's a romance novel in the making."

Carly rolled her eyes at Alexis's sarcasm. "Make fun all you want, but look at all the things Jase has done for me since then. Now, me and Jase and Michael are a family."

Alexis sighed. "Carly, no one could be happier for you than I am, but do you know how lucky you were? Jason could have been HIV positive or had an STD. He could have been married or some kind of psycho. I don't do reckless."

"You don't have to; you know Sonny is none of those things. So, spill, do you want to kiss him again?"

"Carly."

"I'm not going to let you off the hook until you tell me."

"I plead the fifth."

"Yeah, like I know what that means."

"Considering your choice of soulmates, I'd suggest you learn."

"Spill."

"Fine, I'd like to kiss Sonny again and again. In fact, it's all I've thought about for the last eight hours. Are you happy?"

"I know I am." Sonny's voice hit her ears.

Alexis didn't even turn to acknowledge Sonny's presence. She was completely afraid she would simply die from humiliation the second she made eye contact with him. "Carly, will you please make Sonny comfortable while I get changed?"

Alexis's facial expression told Carly that if she did any more than nod, it would be the end of her. Alexis's words as she passed her roommate by, confirmed it. "You are toast."

On the limo ride to the hospital, Alexis couldn't bear to look at Sonny. She was still mortified.

"Alexis," his voice was calm. "You don't have to be embarrassed. I enjoyed our kiss, too."

She continued to look out of the window.

"I enjoyed our kiss so much that it threw me a little." Truth was, it had thrown him a lot.

This revelation caused her to turn toward him. "It did?"

"Yeah." He smiled as he thought she might have been the only woman with whom he would be so forthcoming.

"So, what do you think we should do about it?"

He thought about her, "I don't think we should overanalyze it."

"Easy for you to say." She smiled faintly. "What else?"

He flashed a dimpled smile. "Well, you know what they say, 'The only way to conquer fear is to face it head on.'" And with that, he brought his mouth crashing to hers.

They kissed until they heard Johnny knock on the window.

Once inside, Sonny took Alexis by the hand and led her toward Dr. Meadows office. He continued to hold her hand until a receptionist called her name. She walked to the door slowly then suddnly turned to face him. "Sonny, you can come with me...if you want."

Sonny felt his heart move to his throat. With a nod, he was at her side within seconds.

Once inside the exam room, a nurse deposited a pair of cloth hospital pajamas for Alexis to wear. She held them in her hands for a moment while she stared at Sonny. "Well..."

"Yeah."

"Will you please turn around?"

He eyed her from head to toe. "And what's in that for me?" He teased her with his dimples.

"Sonny."

"Fine."

He turned around, but momentarily thought to sneak a glance at her reflection on the metal of the scale. When he thought of the torture from one kiss, he decided against it.

A nurse returned and took Alexis's vitals. And soon Dr. Meadows appeared. Alexis introduced her to Sonny. And she thought she noticed Dr. Meadows's eyebrows rise. Sonny was a big name in a small town, so Dr. Meadows reaction didn't surprise her.

Dr. Meadows reviewed her chart. "Alexis, you've lost five pounds since your last visit. You just ended your twelfth week, you shouldn't be losing weight. Are you still experiencing nausea?"

"No, I'm fine. I just forget to eat sometimes."

"Don't worry, Doc. She will never forget to eat again."

"Wonderful." Dr. Meadows motioned for Alexis to lay on the table. Alexis jumped as Dr. Meadows spread the cool goo across her belly. And minutes later, they both heard a sound more precious than a symphony: the baby's heartbeat.

"Wow." Sonny couldn't help but grin even as he watched the tears form in Alexis's eyes. "That's amazing."

Alexis previously informed Dr. Meadows that she didn't want to know the baby's sex. She didn't want to rob Jax of every experience that came with the new baby. Dr. Meadows pointed to a nearby screen. "And here is the star of the show. This is your baby."

Alexis began to cry as Sonny squeezed her hand tightly. Her eyes closed as he kissed her forehead.

Sonny began to swell with emotion. He thought of the child he lost with Lily. Silently, he vowed that he'd die before he let any harm come to Alexis's baby.

Later, as they walked through the hospital, they continued to hold hands. They stopped at the sofa near the elevators in order to sneak another peek at the picture from the ultrasound.

"You're having a baby." Sonny's voice scratched before he kissed Alexis's forehead.

Their tender moment was interrupted by Ned. "Alexis, did Sonny just say you're pregnant?"


	16. Chapter 16

_Hi all, sorry about the delay. Some intense parts in this one; more humor and more Jarly in the next._

**Without Hate – Chapter 16**

Alexis thought her heart would beat through her blouse. Of the six and a half billion people in the world, Ned was in the top five of those she didn't want to see.

"Alexis, are you pregnant? Is this why you couldn't wait to move across the hall from Sonny? Were you sleeping with him all along?"

"Back off, Ned." Sonny could have punched Ned for ruining their tender moment.

Alexis began to hyperventilate. Instinctively, Sonny reached in her purse and removed a paper bag. He stroked her back gently as she breathed into the bag. "Breathe Alexis."

After a minute or so, she caught her breath.

"You okay?" Sonny continued to watch her, worry etched on his brow. He held her gaze until she nodded.

As Ned watched the two, he felt almost intrusive. In his mind, he found himself wondering how he had lost the most important person in his world, in such a short time, to Sonny Corinthos, no less. Still, he couldn't help but wonder about the baby's parentage. Was it possible this baby could be his? Maybe Alexis just wasn't showing. "Alexis, is there any possibility?"

Alexis knew where he was headed and she felt overcome by guilt. She owed him the truth. Even if they were no longer lovers, they were still friends; at least she hoped they could be. "Sonny, can you give us a minute?"

Sonny thought of the irony of the situation. Ned had been the one to convince Brenda to betray him and wear a wire. And now, he was with Alexis, the woman Ned loved. To make matters worse, Ned was about to learn his best friend had betrayed him. Much to Sonny's own surprise, he felt nothing but empathy for the man. "Yeah, I'll be back in a few."

Alexis watched Ned's face crumble as she told him the truth; the whole truth about her pregnancy: the night with Jax, when she learned she was pregnant and the fact that Jax didn't know. She found herself apologizing more than she intended.

"I never suspected."

"I'm sorry. I know it sounds cliché, but we didn't mean for this to happen."

Ned shrugged. He searched for words that didn't come. Finally, he managed, "I don't understand, if the baby is Jax's, why are you here with Sonny?"

"Sonny and I are together…sort of."

Somehow Ned was able to see past his own anger and think about her safety. "Have you lost your mind? You're pregnant and you're with Sonny? You do know what happened to his pregnant wife, don't you? A car bomb exploded, Alexis. Is that what you want for you and your baby?"

"Of course not."

"Did I mention he and Jax hate each other? What happens when Jax knows the truth? Have you thought about any of this?"

"I haven't thought about anything else for the last month."

"Then why is Sonny playing daddy and Jax has no idea about the baby? Are you trying to wreck your life? If he doesn't get you killed, how long do you think this thing can last? Two years? Six years? Ten? Are you really going to keep this child surrounded by bodyguards its entire life?"

Alexis began to fight back the tears, which landed Sonny at her side in no time flat. Soon, Alexis found herself outside and ushered into a waiting limo. Sonny couldn't help but notice the way she moved away from him in the car. "Alexis, are you okay?"

"Sonny, I think maybe we're moving too fast. Maybe we should rethink things."

"Is this because of Ned?"

"No, it's because of me."

"Fine."

They continued their ride in silence.

Back at Harborview Towers, Sonny insisted on walking Alexis back to her apartment. He hoped they could talk; fate had other plans. As Alexis opened the door, they were greeted by the sight of Carly making out with AJ.

"Carly, what the he!! are you doing?" Alexis asked in a tone so stern it made Sonny fear for the first time the baby broke curfew.

AJ answered first. "Carly and I were working a few things out, for Michael's sake."

"Well you're done now. I want you out of here." Alexis wondered what was going on with Carly. When she left for her doctor's appointment, Carly was totally in love with Jason. Now, just scant hours later, she was making out with AJ. Something had her scared.

"I don't want him to go." Even though Carly hated him, AJ was her guest. Plus, thanks to Jason, Alexis was going to be seeing a lot more of him.

"Well, my name is on the lease, so you're overruled."

"Hey Carly lives here, too." AJ stood tall before Alexis, all 5 foot 6 inches of him.

"Well, I own the place. Looks like you're out of here, Junior." Sonny escorted AJ to the door.

Carly began to pace. When the door closed, she yelled, "You guys had no right. AJ was my guest."

"As your friend who cares so much about you, I have every right. I will look out for you even when you won't look out for yourself. AJ is not what you want. Jason and Michael are the life you want; so, tell me what happened to make you ready give it all up?"

Something about the way Alexis looked at her made Carly crumble. Within seconds, Alexis had her enveloped in her arms. "What happened?"

After she cried for a few moments, she began. "I decided to surprise Jase at the warehouse. I thought we could have lunch and well, you know."

"And?"

"And I saw him there with Elizabeth. He was holding her in his arms, talking to her really soft like he does with me." Immediately, she toughened. "I told you he was going to want to be with her. The case hasn't even been dismissed yet and he's already thrown me and Michael aside."

Alexis kept waiting for the whole story until she realized she'd just heard it. "Did you talk to him about it?"

"No, I figured if he was going to toss me aside, I'd better go find an option for me and Michael."

"AJ?" Alexis took a deep breath. In minutes, Carly had come close to destroying everything they all had worked for. Still, she understood the fear behind her actions. "Carly, if you are going to be with Jason, you can't just run in the opposite direction when something scares you. You can't let outside forces pull you apart. You have to trust what the two of you have together."

Suddenly, Sonny began coughing as though he was about to vomit a lung.

She touched Carly's hair. "Excuse me for a second."

Alexis grabbed Sonny by the arm and pulled him to the door. In a loud whisper she told him, "Fine, you've made your point. Yes, Ned scared me about us or about what might become an us, but you have to understand this is scary to me. I don't trust easily and sometimes you overwhelm me."

Alexis took a breath and laughed awkwardly. "Okay, sometimes is an understatement. Actually, you overwhelm me most of the time. And it's not even about your occupation; well at least it's not only about your occupation. It's about you and how you make me feel. But we don't have time to go into this right now because Carly needs me. So, why don't you go next door and make me dinner like you promised Dr. Meadows you would. Because if you don't I'm going to take it as a violation of your precious code. Now, if you don't have any questions, I'll be over in an hour or so."

Sonny wondered how one woman could say so many words without taking a breath. He continued to stare at her with a blank expression.

"What?!" She demanded. His stare always unnerved her.

A dimpled smile appeared before he began to speak slowly and methodically. "I was just wondering if we were going to have a lot of these conversations where you are actually the only one talking."

She fought back a smile. "Probably."

He shrugged. "Cool."

He surprised her with a kiss on the cheek, which unleashed the smile she'd been fighting.

When he left, Carly rushed to her nearly knocking her over. "Alexis, I think I messed up. I gotta fix this. If Jason finds out I was kissing AJ, he's going to dump me. I'll die if he leaves me. You gotta promise me you won't tell him." She began to pace. "Oh no, there's Sonny." She stopped in front of Alexis. "You have to help me convince Sonny not to tell Jason what happened."

Alexis took a deep breath. "Sonny's not going to tell Jason anything. You are."

Carly's whole frame began to shake as the tears fell down her face. "But what if I've ruined everything?"

Alexis wrapped Carly in her arms. "Then we'll get through it until Jason realizes he can't live without you."


	17. Chapter 17

_Just a few tidbits: 1) Jason has been living at Sonny's Penthouse so he could be close to Carly and Michael. (I thought I mentioned it, but I later realized I hadn't.) 2) Instead of the storyline in which Lucky was caught in a fire and presumed dead (because of Helena), I've changed it a bit.)_

**Without Hate – Chapter 17**

Alexis was certain she could hear her stomach growl as she watched Carly pace in her tomboyish fashion. Carly was lost somewhere in her own mind, which Alexis imagined was a dangerous place. "Carly, you're making me dizzy."

"I can't help it. You know the first thing Jase is going to do when he finds out about AJ is run to Elizabeth. I can't tell him what happened?"

"Do you have a better plan?"

"I can slip a couple of Roofies into AJ's drink and tell him he imagined everything." Carly's excitement grew, "Or I could make sure AJ started drinking again and then help him ram himself into a wall."

"Sorry I asked." Alexis sighed. "Carly, AJ is going to see Jason in court tomorrow. You can be sure that the first thing he'll do is tell Jason that the two of you were making out."

Carly nodded before she plopped on the sofa next to Alexis. She let out an exaggerated sigh. "You're right. This sucks." She pouted until she started to giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"I was thinking, maybe Jase will be so angry he'll put a hit on AJ."

"You don't really want him to…" Alexis stopped herself, "Never mind, I should know better than to ask questions that may lead to answers that I may have to testify to later."

Jason arrived at the Penthouse a short time later. As he moved to greet Carly, she moved away. "Carly, is something worng?"

Alexis immediately disappeared next door. She hadn't even taken time to change out of her business suit. As she entered Sonny's place, dinner smelled heavenly. She glanced toward the table and noticed two candles flickering in the center.

"Sonny," she called out, "I'm finally here and I'm starving."

Sonny strolled out of the kitchen clad in black and a burgundy-colored silk shirt. His top two buttons were undone. Though his dress was not casual, he appeared relaxed. When he saw Alexis, he immediately dimmed the lights.

"You're smooth." Alexis flirted.

"I have to be. I never know when something is going to happen to change your mind about being with me." The serious look that accompanied his words indicated he was not joking.

"Sonny…" she sighed. "I'm sorry I freaked out after I saw Ned at the hospital."

"That's nice, but…"

"But what?"

He closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her waist. "Sweetheart, I know you're scared about us. I know part of it is because of what I do and the other part is because of who we are. But if we decide to do this, you know, actually see what you and I can be together then I have to know that you're not going to run every time someone like Ned says something."

"I'll try not to."

"'Lexis, I need you to do more than try because I don't think I can do casual with you." Alexis and her baby had already taken up residence in his heart. As much as he knew he wanted to be more than her friend, he knew it would cost him more to have her and to lose her. "So, what do you say?"

A million thoughts swirled in Alexis's mind. What did Sonny mean by, "he couldn't do casual" with her? Commitment wasn't exactly her strong suit. And Sonny wasn't exactly a safe choice. But, she'd done safe with both Ned and Jax and she had been a bit bored. Sonny regularly made her feel like there was fire in her veins.

"Well?" Sonny raised an eyebrow. "I mean we're not exactly talking about marriage…yet." He chuckled because he'd had enough conversations with Alexis to know how much the thought of marriage freaked her out.

"Funny." A mischievous smile crept on her face. "Does being with you include regularly home-cooked meals?"

"Maybe, if I have the right inspiration."

"I think I can help with that." Alexis leaned in and gently brushed his lips with her own.

Jason eyed Carly suspiciously as she paced. He knew this couldn't be good. He wondered whether she'd heard the bit of bad news he planned to share.

"Jase, I have to tell you something."

He stared at her without words.

"I did something stupid today."

"What?"

"I saw you with Elizabeth when you were hugging her and holding her. I freaked out. So, I decided Michael and I needed someone to take care of us…"

"What did you do?"

"I kissed A.J. If Sonny and Alexis hadn't walked in, I would have slept with him."

"Why would you do that?"

"I told you, I saw you with Elizabeth and it scared me. I know how much you like the goody-two-shoes. And I'm about the farthest thing from that."

He didn't need her to tell him the kiss meant nothing; he already knew. One of the reasons he'd fought his earlier urges to be with Carly was because of her personal blend of recklessness mixed with more than a dash of self-destructiveness. As a result, he could forgive her, though forgiveness would have been more difficult if she'd actually slept with AJ. "How many times do I have to tell you that I love you?"

"You don't say it half as much as I do."

"If I did, we wouldn't have any other conversation." Jason's voice was louder than he intended. "Carly, we can't be together if the smallest thing makes you crazy."

"So that's it, you're dumping me?

Alexis savored each bite of the delicious meal Sonny prepared for her: roasted salmon garnished with tomato, avocado and asparagus. "Sonny, this is delicious."

A deep sense of pride rose up within him as he watched Alexis enjoy her meal. "And it's good for the baby. I looked it up."

She felt her heart melt a little. "You are an amazing man."

Sonny smiled mischievously. "You have no idea."

"I see modesty is not one of your best qualities." She chuckled.

"Don't worry; I have plenty of qualities that more than compensate."

"What the he!! have I gotten myself into?" She laughed out loud.

Jason ran his hands over his face then into his hair. This time when he spoke, his voice was softer. "Carly, I'm not dumping you, but I am saying that I can't play these games where you do something to hurt me when you think I've hurt you. I need to be able to trust you."

"You can, Jase, as long as you stay away from Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth and I are friends."

"So were you and I."

"Carly, we were more than friends from the minute we met. Don't you know I don't feel about anyone else the way I fee about you."

"Then why were you hugging Elizabeth?"

Jason took Carly by the hand and led her to the sofa. "There was an accident. Lucky was in a fire."

Lucky was Carly's first cousin. Her first thought was her mother. Bobby had just lost Ruby, the woman who practically raised her, the year before. The loss of her nephew would be too much. "I need to see Mama."

"Let me tell Sonny first."

For dessert, Sonny made a chocolate soufflé. He chuckled as Alexis dramatically closed her eyes.

"Hmmm…" she sighed, "this is so amazing. Seriously, have you thought of leaving the business and opening a bakery or doing a televised cooking show?"

"Yeah, not so much." He wondered if she even heard word he was saying because she hadn't looked up from her last bite of soufflé. He chuckled, "Well princess, it seems that I have to worry about your wicked stepmother showing up with dessert instead of an apple. Maybe I should get seven guards to look after you."

"I don't think so." She knew he was only half joking, but still she hated the thought of being followed everywhere she went.

"You know, as people find out we're together, you're going to need protection." He hadn't planned to have the guard discussion right then, but it felt right.

"Fine, I'll take Johnny."

"Absolutely not." Sonny had not been oblivious to the looks Johnny gave Alexis when he thought no one was looking. He trusted Johnny. He also knew Johnny wouldn't let anything happen to Alexis; yet, he couldn't let his man think it was appropriate to have a crush on the boss's woman.

"But I like Johnny."

Her statement troubled him more than Johnny's crush. "Why?"

"Because he actually smiles at me, unlike the other guards. And he hardly ever refers to me as your mouthpiece anymore."

"That's nice, but I don't think so."

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid he might be so distracted looking at your legs that he'd let you get hurt."

Alexis was surprised by the seriousness of Sonny's expression. She wondered if he was possessed by a little green monster. "Are you jealous?"

"Nah, I'm just looking out for your safety."

"Liar," she laughed. Jealous Sonny was too much fun. She couldn't help herself from teasing him more. "I was just thinking how much fun Johnny and I could have going shoe shopping together. Soon, I won't be able to fasten the straps of my stilettos." She extended a long stiletto-adorned leg across his lap. With a fake pout, she asked, "Don't you want someone to help me with my shoes?"

"Yeah, but I think Johnny's about to be fitted for a pair of cement shoes of his own."

Alexis laughed again. What was it about Sonny that made her so happy? She removed her leg from his lap and she surprised him by sitting there instead. She ran her fingers through his hair "You know you're my favorite ethically-challenged person, don't you?"

"Who are you calling ethically –challenged? I have a code."

"If I hear one more thing about that stupid code…"

His voice grew husky as he found himself staring at her mouth. "Yeah, what are you going to do?"

"Stop you by any means necessary." She kissed him softly.

Sonny and Alexis continued to kiss, simply enjoying the taste of one another, until Jason interrupted with the news of Lucky's accident. Soon, the four headed to the hospital where Carly made a bee-line for Bobby. Jason, who carried a sleeping Michael, followed closely behind.

Alexis and Sonny found an angry Luke and a distraught Laura. Sonny could understand their pain. He himself felt as though he'd been punched in the gut. He'd taken the boy camping and watched as Luke pierced his ear. He'd also shielded the boy with his own body once when shots were fired. When the moment presented itself, Luke pulled Sonny aside.

"What happened?" Sonny asked his friend.

"Helena. Tonight, I stopped by Lucky's on instinct, just in time to see flames coming from his apartment. I ran around back just in time to see Helena's thug, Ari, carrying my boy away from the place."

"Why?"

"Because she hates me and Laura." Luke turned to see a concerned Stefan standing nearby. "Vlad, now is not the time."

"I wish to speak with Mr. Corinthos."

"What do you want?"

"I heard what Spencer said. If he's right and my mother is responsible for this, then she's out of control. By my calculations, Alexis's pregnancy will be more visible soon. Word of a potential new heir, may cause Mother to become more unstable. I need you to take precautions to keep Alexis safe, until I can take care of Mother."

Luke stared at Stefan. "Are you done?"

"I am. Good day, gentleman." Stefan headed off to find Nicholas and possibly Alexis in the process. For the first time since the news of Alexis's police station tryst, he was glad that her child was the heir of a mob boss.

Sonny watched as Stefan walked away. Silently, he vowed to keep Alexis safe no matter what it took. Luke's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"He's right Corinthos. The old bag will be gunning for Natasha. You need to get her out of here for a while. And don't worry about Helena; I'll take care of her.


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: Sorry for the delay. I hope you find this worth the wait. Actually, I hope you're still reading and you find it worth the wait._

**Without Hate – Chapter 18**

Alexis smiled to herself as she allowed the warm water to trickle down her face in the shower. In a few hours, she and Sonny would be sitting at the ballet. She loved the ballet but rarely had a chance to go. In her experience, she rarely found straight men who loved the ballet; it was exceptionally rare to find the love of ballet in a man as macho as Sonny.

Perhaps tonight would be the night they took their relationship to the next level. So far, Sonny had been nothing but the perfect gentleman. She heard his voice in her head.

"_I have no problem kissing you as many times as you ask me to."_

_  
"But I didn't ask you..." She heard herself protest, though she knew it was a lie._

_  
"I'm more than happy to kiss you as many times as the opportunity presents itself, but I won't make love to you until you tell me it's what you want."_

She stepped out of the shower and looked in the mirror. Deciding on a practice run, she squinted in an attempt to create bedroom eyes, "Make love to me, Sonny." "Ack," she thought. She reminded herself of the overacting she'd seen in a B-rate movie."

Maybe, she thought, just maybe she could get Sonny to tell her it was what he wanted. Looking down, she patted her still flat stomach. "Little one do you think you could stay hidden until your mama can see some action?"

Downstairs, Carly strummed through the pages of a fashion magazine. In her mind she picked out outfits for Jason to buy her. "Jason," she practically whispered then sighed. For the first time in her life, Carly had found paradise. She had immediate access to the love of her life, her best friend and her son. Now, thanks to AJ's crisis of conscience that was prompted by the female Quartermaines, she could lose it all.

For the last two weeks, since AJ kept his promise and dropped the charges, Jason had been bugging her about finding a place of their own. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have jumped at the chance. But now, she wanted more. She wanted her best friend in close proximity to keep her from doing something that might wreck her life. She wanted utopia. And for Carly, utopia was Alexis and Jason swapping addresses.

She thought of how perfect it would be to have Jason living in Penthouse Two with her and Alexis living across the hall with Sonny. They would both have their men and they would still see each other all of the time. Unfortunately, it didn't seem her dream would become a reality anytime soon. Sonny and Alexis were taking things slowly; too slowly for her tastes.

She heard Alexis's cellular phone go off in her purse. "Alexis, phone," she screamed. The cellular phone stopped and the house phone started. After several rings, she screamed out "I guess I'm answering the phone." Annoyed because she knew it was for Alexis, she answered "Yeah?"

"Hello Carly. Is Alexis home?" The sound of the familiar Aussie accent sent chills up her spine. Why was he so insistent about reaching her?

"Jax, um, you just missed her." Carly crossed her fingers; all the while wondering why crossing her fingers seemed to make a lie less of a lie.

"That's unfortunate, I need to speak with her. I tried her on her cellular, but she didn't pick up." She could feel the urgency in his tone. "Do you know where she is?"

"Um, she's out of town, I think."

"Do you know if she'll be home by Friday? I'll be back in town then and I'm anxious to see her."

"I doubt she'll be back. I think she's gone for the next couple weeks."

"Where is she?"

Carly felt herself panic. Remembering Jason once told her Sonny had a casino in Puerto Rico, she blurted, "Puerto Rico."

"What is she doing there?"

"Um, I think I hear Michael crying. I'll tell Alexis you called. Bye."

Carly panicked. She had no intention of telling Alexis that Jax called. But what if he called again? Carly paced then she ran to Alexis's purse and grabbed out her cellular phone. Quickly, she took the battery out of the back of the phone. Looking around, she saw a bowl containing the gardenias Sonny sent Alexis earlier that day. She held the battery in the water for nearly a full minute, took it out, dried it on the tail of her blouse and stuck it in the phone.

Running, she made it to the sofa just in time to see Alexis practically floating down the stairs.

Carly took in Alexis's evening gown: muted bronze, strapless, fitted at the bodice and full beneath. With her hair pulled into an elegant, low bun, Alexis reminded her of the actresses on the awards shows she used to watch with her mama, Virginia. "Wow! You look good."

"Thanks."

"Date with Sonny?"

Alexis thought of him with his olive skin, dark eyes and dimpled smile. She grinned widely. "Yep."

"So, you'll be home late?"

"Probably."

"Why?"

"Well, we're having dinner at the No Name and then going to the ballet…"

Carly sighed loudly. "I mean why are you going to be home tonight at all? When are you and Sonny going to take the next step?"

"Carly, Sonny and I are taking things slowly. Our relationship is complicated enough without rushing into something."

"You two have been seeing each other every day for the last month and a half. What are you waiting for?"

"The right time."

Back in Penthouse four, Sonny took the stairs two at a time. He was excited about his date with Alexis. He was especially excited about taking her to the ballet. The last time he'd gone to the ballet, he was a teen. He'd taken his mother to see Romeo and Juliet soon after he'd started in the business working for Scully. She died less than a year later. Tonight, it felt like he was introducing Alexis to his mother.

In the living room, Jason paced about nervously. "Hey."

"Hey. What's going on?"

"Tonight's the night. I'm going to ask Carly to marry me."

Sonny extended a hand that turned into a hug. "Congratulations man!"

"I hope she says, 'Yes.'"

"I don't think you have anything to worry about. If she wasn't your woman, Carly would come close to being a stalker. She's crazy about you."

"Thanks, man." The two men embraced once more.

Sonny strolled over to Penthouse Two. In his mind, he wondered if his and Alexis's relationship would change that night as well. When she answered the door, he felt his knees go weak. She was a vision. "Alexis, you look absolutely amazing."

At that same moment, Alexis felt her heart flutter. Sonny was so handsome in his black tuxedo with his hair slicked back. As soon as he flashed his dimples, she was done for.

The two stood transfixed for a full moment until they heard a scream come from the kitchen.

"What was that?" Alexis turned toward the kitchen.

Soon, she and Sonny arrived in the kitchen only to see Carly on the floor holding her ankle.

"Carly, what happened?"

"I tripped on the chair and twisted my ankle."

"Let me help you up."

"No," Carly looked around frantically. "Sonny can help me up. Can you just get Michael and bring him downstairs until Jason gets back?"

"Sure." Alexis was proud of the maternal instinct that kicked in with Carly. She was hurt and yet her first thought was Michael. She headed upstairs toward Michael's room.

Sonny lowered himself to help Carly up. As he reached for her torso, she slapped at his arms. "Move. Move. I can get up myself. I needed to talk to you alone."

Sonny stepped back and watched as Carly stood up and walked toward the living room. In a daze he followed, "Look Carly, I don't know what this is all about, but I'm not interested…"

"Get over yourself. This is important." She flopped on the couch, extended her leg and propped a couple of pillows beneath it. "You gotta stop playing around and get Alexis in bed; tonight if possible."

"What?!"

Carly lowered her voice. "Jax is on his way back."

"What are you talking about?"

"He called. He'll be back on Friday."

Sonny was confused. Alexis hadn't mentioned anything about Jax coming back to Port Charles. "Alexis didn't say…"

"She doesn't know."

Sonny dug his hands in his pockets. "You think she's not gonna find out?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it. That means you've got five days to make her fall in love with you." Carly held up five fingers for emphasis. "Five days is not a lot of time."

Neither heard Alexis come in. "Five days isn't a lot of time to do what?"


	19. Chapter 19

I know this one has taken forever. But I hope you're still reading and I hope you enjoy. This one is filled will all sorts of romance for both our couples. Reviews are appreciated.

**Without Hate – Chapter 19**

Neither Sonny nor Carly heard Alexis come in. Sonny wondered if Alexis had heard Carly's mandate that he get Alexis into bed as soon as possible. His fears were assuaged as soon as he heard Alexis say, "Five days isn't a lot of time to do what?"

"To take a couples' trip to Puerto Rico," Carly said, too quickly, "just the four of us."

"Sounds like fun." Alexis couldn't imagine anything she wanted to do more than enjoy a little R and R in the fun and the sun with Sonny.

"Tomorrow," Carly said, without batting an eye.

Alexis crinkled her nose, "That seems kind of sudden. What's the rush?"

Sonny stared at Carly in disbelief. He was simply amazed at how quickly she could fabricate a story. And while admittedly he'd been tolerating her better lately, the thought of spending five days in her continual presence seemed more like a nightmare than a dream. Besides, he didn't need Carly's help to put the moves on Alexis. If all he wanted was to get her in bed, he was certain he could have done that already. He wanted Alexis to know how much he cared for her and that he wanted to be more in her life than just a fling. "Look 'Lexis, if you can't make it on such short notice, I understand."

Alexis tapped her finger against her mouth as she ran over her commitments in her mind. "Actually, I think I can manage it. I don't have any court appearances this week and I can bring anything pressing with me."

"See, it's going to be perfect." Carly smiled. Her plan was going to work…for once.

Sonny and Alexis made their excuses and left for the ballet. In the limo, Sonny took Alexis's hand in his own and kissed it. She moved their hands to her cheek and closed her eyes. "So, tell me how you came to like the ballet."

"My mother loved the ballet. About six months before she died, I took her to see Romeo and Juliet. I was working for Scully by then. So, I bought her a new dress and she had her makeup done. When we got there, she said she felt as pretty as all of the fancy high-society ladies." He stroked the soft hair that lay at the back of Alexis's neck. "I bet she never dreamed I'd have a woman like you."

Alexis felt herself blush. She looked up and faced his stare. "You do have me. You know that right?"

He placed a tender kiss on her mouth.

About an hour after Sonny and Alexis left, Carly took Michael across the hall. She was so excited whenever the three of them had the opportunity to have dinner, like a real family.

She smiled when she saw Jason in his tight jeans and t-shirt. He crossed the room and greeted her with a kiss, which was still enough to give her goose bumps.

She smacked his butt, "Hiya, hot stuff."

All Jason could do was smile. She was his best friend and she was totally outrageous, but he loved her. Michael scrambled for him, which brought a twinkle to his eyes.

Carly noticed the lighting and the romantic setting of the dining room table. "Ooh, are we having a romantic dinner?"

He took her in. She wore tight jeans, a tight sweater "Yeah, we could have many more of them if we got our own place together."

"I'm working on it, baby." She placed Michael in the high chair that sat next to the dining table.

"How? You won't even consider looking at another place." Jason was slightly frustrated. He, Carly and Michael were still living like neighbors, instead of like the family they were meant to be.

"I don't have to. Alexis is going to move in here and you can move back in across the hall with me and Michael."

"Oh yeah?" Jason smiled. Carly was nothing if not determined. He thought to lecture her on her promise regarding no plans when it came to Sonny and Alexis; instead, he decided to leave it for another night. "When do you think that's going to happen?"

"Well, the four of us are going on a couples' vacation the day after tomorrow. After that, it's just a matter of time."

"Do you think it'll happen before we get married?"

She turned to see Jason down on one knee. "Jase, what are you?" Her mind kept telling her that this could not be happening. Sure, she knew Jason loved her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she actually trusted it. She watched as he pulled a ring box from his inside pocket. He popped it open to reveal a very large diamond.

"Carly, will you marry me?"

For a moment she stood stunned. "Are you sure you want to marry me, Jase. Because A.J. dropped the charges and I promise I won't let him stop you from raising Michael. So, if this is some kind of joke…"

"I don't joke," Jason deadpanned, "you know that." He continued to hold the ring box in his hand; his arm remained extended. Carly remained still. She looked like a deer in headlights.

Carly allowed the tears that she rarely allowed to see the light of day begin to fall. "You know I'm a screw-up. And you know I make you crazy. So, you better not change your mind because if you do…"

"I'm not going to change my mind. Now will you give me your hand before my arm falls off?" He smiled. Her hand shook as she moved it toward him. He slipped the obnoxiously large diamond on her finger. She smiled broadly at the ring. True, it was a little gaudy, larger than he would have chosen for someone else, but he knew how much she'd love parading it around town, especially in front of the Quartermaines.

"Jase, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my whole life." She couldn't help staring at it.

"So, the answer is yes?"

"Yes. Yes. Yes," she screamed and tackled Jason to the ground.

At the No Name, Sonny and Alexis held hands across the table. Sonny stared at Alexis intensely and she found herself blushing under his gaze.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked, unable to meet his gaze.

"Because you're beautiful."

Alexis blushed even more than she had been blushing previously. "Sonny, you don't have to flatter me."

He looked at her with slight amazement then he placed a finger under her chin and lifted it until her eyes met his. "You really don't get that you're the total package? You're smart, beautiful and funny. Yeah, you get a little crazy sometimes, but that's your charm. There's only one thing…"

Alexis's back stiffened, "Oh, what's this one thing?"

"I want to make us official; I want people to know about us." Sonny wasn't exactly sure why he'd started down this road. Maybe it was because Jax was coming back to town and he wanted to mark his turf before Jax did.

"People know about us." Alexis crinkled her nose as she tried to think just who those people were. Her eyes widened as a thought crossed her mind. "Jason and Carly know about us…and Luke…and anyone who comes to the No Name knows about us."

"Yes, everyone in my world knows about us, but does anyone in your world other than Stefan and Ned?"

She pulled her hand from his. "Who else is there?"

Sonny drummed his fingers against the table. "The people you work with…your nephew…oh yeah, your ex? You ashamed of me, Miss Davis?" He smiled; it was a thinly veiled attempt to try to hide his insecurity.

Alexis felt a sharp pain to her heart. As the bastard daughter of Mikkos Cassadine, she'd known what it was like to be someone's secret. She'd never meant to cause someone she cared about that kind of pain. "Sonny, I haven't been avoiding telling Jax about you. I've been avoiding Jax. As for being ashamed of you, how could I be ashamed of you? I'm a Cassadine. You think you're dangerous? My father tried to invent a machine to freeze the world. Do you know how insane that is?"

Sonny titled his head to the side as he tried to wrap his mind around what Alexis was saying. "He tried to freeze…"

"Yes," she cut him off, "he wanted the power to _freeze_ the whole world. You wouldn't ever try to freeze the whole world would you, Corinthos?" She chuckled to herself.

"Eh, maybe an associate or any of the Quartermaines with the exception of Lila and Emily." He chuckled at his own thought, "Would have loved to have frozen Candyboy…before he fathered your baby, of course, but the whole world? Nah." He punctuated his sentence with the deepest set of dimples she'd ever seen.

Their dinner arrived and he watched in amazement as Alexis savored every single morsel. For a moment, Sonny felt very privileged to be one of the few people who knew this side of her, the relaxed, carefree Alexis. This Alexis she kept buried very deeply, safely hidden from those she didn't trust.

The ballet was magical and Alexis was amazed to see how much Sonny was moved by it. In the limousine, on the way home, she noticed a wistful look in his eyes and she brushed his cheek. "What are you thinking about?"

"My mom. She would have loved this performance and I think she would have loved you, too." Alexis placed a soft kiss on his chin and then nuzzled her head back into his neck. For a few seconds, he listened to the sound of her breathing. "I know I do."

The silence bounced off the walls of the limousine as Alexis mind played catch up with Sonny's words. Then, suddenly, she sat up. "Are you saying you love me?"

He smiled then kissed her. "And if I am, what do you have to say about that?"

She smiled and said sweetly, "To you, nothing." She lowered the window that separated her and Sonny from Johnny, who was driving and said, "Johnny, Sonny and I would like to make a detour."

Johnny looked in the rearview mirror and waited for an approving glance from his boss. Once given, he asked, "Where to Miss Davis?"

"The Port Charles hotel…and Johnny, once we're there, you don't have to worry about coming back until the morning." She loosened Sonny's collar and placed a kiss on his neck, the first of many more to come. "I guess I'm going to have to spend the rest of the night showing you how I feel about you loving me. What do you have to say about that?"

With a mischievous smile, he called out to his driver, "Step on it, Johnny."


	20. Chapter 20

_Hi all, I recently realized it had been a year since I updated this one. I'm so sorry it took so long. I've always intended to complete it and I've always known where I was going with this one. Replies are appreciated. I hope you enjoy. _

Without Hate – Chapter 20

Carly opened the door of the Penthouse she shared with Alexis. Everything was quiet. At first the silence scared her. Then, she realized that her greatest wishes might have come true. She grinned as she wondered if Alexis and Sonny spent the night together. Actually, she first grinned as she looked at the huge diamond engagement ring on her left hand, then she wondered about Alexis and Sonny. She was going to be Mrs. Jason Morgan and she couldn't wait to tell Alexis. "Alexis?"

Suddenly, Carly felt lighter than air. Her plan was beginning to work. Alexis would be moving next door with Sonny. Their kids would play together. If she was lucky, Alexis would have a girl and her daughter would marry Michael.

She sank into the sofa with the biggest smile on her face. Then she heard the knock at the door. On the other side of the door, she found the love of her life holding her infant son.

She gave him a big kiss on the cheek and then kissed the top of Michael's head. "Jase, do you hear that?"

All Jason heard was quiet. "Hear what?"

"Oh nothing, just the silence that proves my plan worked." Jason gave her a quizzical look, which was nothing new. She didn't wait for him to ask any follow-up questions. "Alexis isn't here, which means she spent the night with Sonny, which means she'll practically be living with him soon."

"You got all that from an empty apartment?" Jason lifted Michael in the air and smiled at the baby's display of four teeth as he laughed.

"Jase, you gotta trust me when I tell you they're a done deal."

No sooner than Carly spoke, Alexis's voice could be heard through the door. "Don't touch me, Sonny."

"You're overreacting." Sonny reasoned.

"Really? I expected to spend the night making love to you. Instead, I end up spending the night waiting for you to be released from the PCPD." As they entered the Penthouse, Alexis tried to close the door on Sonny; he stopped it from closing and entered anyway. Alexis still wore her fancy evening dress and Sonny was still in his tuxedo, although it was clear he'd had a rough night.

"We could have been out hours ago if you had used your fancy law degree to have me released. It is what I pay you for after all."

"If you remember correctly, I quit last night right after you punched Ned."

"You punched Ned?" Carly asked. From the look on both Sonny and Alexis's faces, they hadn't realized either she or Jason were in the apartment. "Cool. Ned's a jerk."

Alexis simply glared at Carly, while Sonny, unfortunately, smirked at her comment. "Oh, you think that's funny? Maybe you and Carly should be together since she thinks hitting people is _'cool.'_" She turned to Jason, "It's a good thing you're in the picture or Sonny may have found his soulmate."

"Me and Carly being together is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." Sonny shook his head. Apparently, Alexis was so angry that she'd lost her mind.

Once more Carly interrupted, "Besides, Jase and me just got engaged. "

"Congratulations." Sonny and Alexis both offered in deadpanned voices. Alexis softened a bit and she took Carly's hand and looked at the ostentatious ring. "It's beautiful Carly. Jason knows exactly how to make you happy."

Sonny dropped his head at Alexis's comment. He wanted to make her happy, too. In fact, he'd thought of nothing else for the last several months.

Something about Alexis's voice made Carly sad. In her mind, Carly vowed to hold Alexis's hand through whatever it took to get Alexis over her anger with Sonny, even if she didn't think he did anything wrong. Jason knew whatever happened between Sonny and Alexis needed to be worked out. And it needed to be done without he or Carly being present.

"Carly, we should go."

"No, I'm not leaving Alexis."

Alexis touched Carly's hand. "Carly, I'm fine. I think I want to be alone for a little while."

"Fine." Carly nodded then gave her a hug before she pulled Jason out of the door. Alexis watched as Sonny remained behind. She grew irritated as she watched him lock the door behind Carly and Jason.

"Sonny, I said I wanted to be alone."

"Not until you hear me out."

"You don't get to decide when you leave. This is my apartment."

"Yeah, but I own it."

"Get out, now!" Alexis felt her face redden. No one could infuriate her like this man.

"Look, 'Lexis, I'm sorry. I know I overreacted, but when Ned started telling you how you were ruining your life by being with me and how Jax was never going to let me raise your child, I flipped."

"I know. I was there."

After the ballet, Sonny and Alexis ran into Ned in the lobby of the hotel, while Sonny was requesting a room. Ned told the desk clerk "the Port Charles Hotel did not serve clientele like Sonny Corinthos." Alexis appealed to Sonny's sensible side. He almost walked away, until Ned pulled Alexis aside and started telling her how Jax would take away her baby before Jax let Sonny raise it. Sonny and Ned began to argue and before Sonny could stop himself, he punched him. And Ned was all too happy to call the police.

She knew his intent was chivalrous, still in her world people simply didn't use their fists to solve issues. Besides, she knew Jax wasn't as much of a threat as Ned thought. Thanks to Alexis's legal maneuvering, Sonny had never been convicted of anything. In fact, he'd never even been on trial. Ironically, in trying to protect his family, Jax was the one who'd been convicted of RICO charges. Based on that alone, she knew there would be no clear-cut path to custody if there was a fight. Besides, Jax was her best friend and she expected them to work things out amicably.

Alexis moved to the sofa and Sony followed. "Sonny, I don't need you to fight my battles. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"But I want to take care of you…and the baby."

"I know." She touched his face. "And I love you for wanting to. I just don't want you to do anything that gives Jax or Ned or anyone else any reason to tell me we shouldn't be together."

"Got it. But…"

"But what?"

"Did you just say you loved me?"

Alexis smiled. "Oh you caught that."

"Yeah. I'm a little surprised." Alexis played her emotions even closer to the vest than he did. He'd told her how he felt earlier and afterward, she'd still she hadn't responded that she felt the same way.

"Surprised?"

"Yeah, you didn't say anything when I told you how I felt in the car."

"I was planning on showing you when we got to the hotel. But no, you had to go and have yourself sent to lockup." She toyed with his collar.

Sonny's voice graveled, "So show me now."

"Are you sure you don't have someone else to fight?"

"Yeah. I'm sure…about a lot of things."

Alexis leaned in and kissed him slowly at first. Then their kisses intensified. After what couldn't have been more than a few seconds, Sonny was out of his jacket and his shirt. He pulled away from her and took a deep breath. "Are you sure?"

"Ab…" she kissed his mouth. "So," then she kissed his ear. "Lutely," then she began to assault his neck.

Sonny smiled as he enjoyed the sensations she was causing throughout. "Then I think we better go upstairs."

Alexis nibbled at his ear before she whispered, "Going upstairs will take longer than I'm willing to wait."

Back at Penthouse four, Carly was pacing a line on the floor. "I gotta find a way to get them back together, Jase."

"You've done enough already. When are you going to get that your plans don't work?"

"Jase, other than you, Alexis is my best friend. I have to help her."

"So be her friend, but stop messing with her life."

"But she was so mad. That vein on the side of her neck was bulging. I know her. She's going to say something to Sonny that she's going to regret."

"Carly, stay out of it." Jason was about to say more when the phone rang. It was Benny calling about a problem with a shipment. He moved out of Carly's earshot. Carly decided to make the most of the momentary absence of Jason's lecturing about the uselessness of her plans to go check on Alexis.

"Hello," Carly called out. As she entered the Penthouse, she caught an eyeful of a mostly naked Sonny and Alexis barely camouflaged by the throw that had been on the arm of the sofa. Sonny and Alexis did their best to cover themselves.

Carly laughed at the redness that engulfed Alexis's cheeks. "Hey, don't stop on my account, but Alexis, we are so going sofa shopping tonight." She closed the door and immediately let out a squeal.

Though Alexis was mortified by the interruption, she chuckled at Carly's squeal. "I'm so embarrassed, but we just made Carly really happy."

"_You _have absolutely no reason to be embarrassed. And you just made me really happy, too. I never pictured our first time together to be like that, but Wow!" He kissed her before he handed her his shirt.

"You thought about us, before?" She kissed his back. "What did you picture?"

Sonny smiled. "Rose petals on the bed, candles and satin sheets."

"Next time." She kissed him fully on the mouth before she began to button his shirt that she was now wearing.

"There's going to be a next time? I like the sound of that." Now, he kissed her. He began undoing the buttons that she'd just buttoned. Before he could completely erase her progress, there was a knock at the door. He sighed, "Hey, do you know a girl I can set up with Jason?"

"Why?" Alexis watched with amusement as he slipped on his trousers.

"Because I'm going to kill Carly." He kissed her before he headed to the door. He heard Alexis's giggles behind him. "What do you want, Carly?" He yelled just before he opened the door to find Jasper Jacks. His sudden annoyance disappeared as he saw who stood at his side.

"Sonny," Alexis called out as she saw him at the door, seemingly frozen. "Are you okay? Who is it?"

Sonny opened the door wider so Alexis could see. Alexis nearly fainted because in addition to her ex-husband, who was the father of her child, stood Brenda Barrett former love of both Sonny and Jax's lives. She was the surprise Jax mentioned on the phone. And what a surprise she was since she had been presumed dead.

Jax looked between Sonny and Alexis. He grew more incensed by the minute. Alexis was wearing Sonny's shirt and Sonny was only wearing his pants. It didn't take subtitles to figure out what he'd interrupted. "Alexis, what are you thinking?"

"Brenda?" Alexis was the first to acknowledge the woman's presence.

"Wow, I never expected to see _you_ with Sonny." Brenda knew Sonny would be with someone, but she would have never thought it would be Alexis.

"You're alive?" Sonny asked, oblivious to the conversation around him. "How?"

"Don't worry about it Corinthos. Instead of asking questions, why don't you start explaining what you're doing with my wife?"

"Your _wife_?" Sonny was incensed. "From what I heard, Candyboy, your marriage was a fake. And the divorce was final before you ran off to Europe to chase one woman and before you came home with another."

Brenda watched in amazement at the way the men naturally fell into bickering. It was odd, though, because although she was usually the source of their contention, it now seemed to be Alexis.

"Sonny." Alexis took his hand. "Why don't you take Brenda across the hall, so Jax and I can talk?"

"I don't know how comfortable I feel about having Brenda leave with him." Jax replied before Sonny could.

"Jax, if it wasn't important I wouldn't ask."

Jax nodded in response. Given Alexis's most recent behavior, he wasn't sure what to think.

"I'll see you in a few?" She asked Sonny.

"Yeah, are you sure?" He studied Alexis's eyes for confirmation, though he already knew why she wanted him to leave. He watched as she nodded, then he whispered in her ear, "Get dressed before you talk to him."

She kissed Sonny's cheek and whispered, "I love you." Normally, she'd be irritated by his chauvinism. All she could do was smile given the fact that Jax previously seeing her in less was the reason she needed to speak to him in the first place.

"I'll be across the hall if you need me." Sonny kissed the top of Alexis's hand, which he'd been holding before ushering Brenda across the hall.

No sooner than she closed the door, Jax started in on her. "You're sleeping with Sonny? Alexis, have you lost your mind? Don't you know how dangerous he is?"

"Yes, almost as dangerous as the Cassadine family." She headed to her room and returned a few minutes later fully dressed in sweats and t-shirt. As she headed down the stairs from her room, she cut him off before he could get started. "I didn't ask you to stay so we could talk about Sonny and me."

"Then what would you like to talk about?"

"Us." Alexis took a deep breath as she prepared for the moment that she knew would change her life. "I'm pregnant, Jax. And the baby is yours."

"I'm going to be a father?" Jax's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Are you sure?" He waited until Alexis nodded before he swept her into his arms. He was going to be a father. When he arrived at her door, he'd planned on spending his life with Brenda, but in his heart he knew this changed everything.


	21. Chapter 21

Hi all,

This chapter has a little bit of angst for Sonny and Alexis. Mostly Sexis, some Jarly. By the way, I know the writers changed history to make Alexis go to Yale, but in my mind she'll always be a Harvard grad. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Chapter 21

As they stood in Penthouse Four, Sonny looked at Brenda with amazement. She was alive. It was some kind of miracle that meant being with him wasn't some kind of death sentence. While it was true that Brenda "died" while she was with Jax and not him, Sonny couldn't help feeling that the women who loved him were somehow cursed. The feeling started when he was a boy with the punishment his mother endured from his stepfather because she loved him. And it continued with Lily, his first wife, dying as the result of a car bomb. Brenda's survival meant he and Alexis had a chance of being happy.

"I can't believe you're alive." He grinned at her before pulling her into a hug. "This is the best day of my life."

About the same time Sonny was hugging Brenda, Carly came downstairs carrying Michael. She nearly dropped the baby at the sight of shirtless Sonny hugging another woman. "You slimeball! Fifteen minutes after you're with my best friend, I find you all over another woman?"

Sonny pulled out of the hug with Brenda. "Carly would you relax. Nothing is going on between me and Brenda. I'm just happy she's alive."

"Carly and Alexis are best friends? Did I come back to the Twilight Zone?"

Carly ignored Brenda's presence. "Sonny, do you need to be happy about Brenda without a shirt? I'm sure Alexis would have something to say about that."

"Alexis has my shirt."

Carly smirked. "And I guess I'd be totally crazy for thinking you have 100 more shirts upstairs...in your room."

Typically Sonny would have been annoyed at Carly's outburst, but not today. He was still floating on air after being with Alexis and he was glad Carly was so protective of her. "Relax Carly."

Brenda hated Carly for breaking up her best friend, Robin's, relationship with Jason and she was growing more annoyed with her by the minute. "Carly, exactly how is Sonny's state of dress or undress any of your business?"

"It's my business because he's Alexis's man. I thought you drove your car off the side cliff into a lake? "

"Carly…" Sonny warned just as Jason entered from the kitchen.

"Brenda?" Jason was surprised to see her. Still, he expected no warm hugs. They had been friends once, until Carly; and yet, if he could do everything all over again, he wouldn't do anything differently. "You're alive?"

"Hi Jason," Brenda greeted him coolly.

Carly smirked as she moved closer to Brenda, "You know Brenda, I was just thinking…"

"That's either dangerous or miraculous." Brenda interrupted.

"Well since I wouldn't want to hurt myself, maybe I'll just ask you: Why is it that some people can't manage to stay dead?"

"Carly…" Jason tried to stop her.

"I don't know," Brenda responded. "Maybe you can research that, disappear for a while and make the world a better place." Neither Brenda nor Carly was a woman who would back down from a fight.

Carly took another step in Brenda's direction. "You want to come a little closer and say that?"

"Bring it." Brenda answered without blinking.

"Hey, knock it off." Jason warned both women.

Sonny shook his head. "Jason, can you make sure your girlfriend doesn't hurt Brenda, while I get dressed?" As Jason nodded, Sonny headed toward his room.

Carly called after him, "I'm his fiancée."

Brenda looked at Jason with disgust. "Seriously, Jason, tell me you did not propose to _her_."

Back in Penthouse Two, Jax continued to wrap his brain around his impending fatherhood. "You're absolutely sure that everything is fine with the baby." He breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her nod.

Alexis walked to her desk and opened the drawer. When she returned, she handed him a picture of their baby from the ultrasound. Though the baby was little more than a blob, the sight of this particular blob was beautiful. "He or she is beautiful. Are we having a boy or a girl?"

Alexis shrugged, "I don't know. I thought I'd wait for you, so we could find out together.

He took her hand and kissed it. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Alexis took a deep breath as she prepared to answer the million-dollar question, "I guess I was trying to wrap my mind around having a baby with my best friend…and ex-husband."

"What's to wrap your mind around? Dad and Lady Jane are going to be thrilled. Have you thought about names yet?" Jax was growing more delighted by the minute.

"I presume I'm confined to names that begin with J?"

"Of course."

Alexis had been waiting for this moment. She gleefully moved to her desk and returned with a book.

"What's that?"

"It's a book of Russian baby names." The names weren't cool or trendy and she expected him to hate most of them; still she wanted to lighten the moment. She needed to prove to him that they could all still get along. She also wanted him to be a little more open-minded about names. "I thought it was important to incorporate both of our traditions into the baby's name."

"Fine, let's try out a few."

"Jelena…um, NEVER. Sounds too much like Helena," Alexis grimaced before she continued. "Jasha, Jeirgif, Jermija…"

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. There's also Jurg, Julya and Jenica."

Jax sighed, "Jenica isn't too bad. We better pray for a girl." The two shared a laugh before Jax took Alexis's hand. "Alexis, how long are we going to avoid talking about the elephant in the room?"

"Elephant? That's a horrible thing to call a pregnant woman." Alexis did her best to divert Jax's attention from the subject she'd successfully avoided so far: Sonny.

In contrast, back at Sonny's place, as soon as Jason and Carly left to take Michael for a walk, Brenda cut to the chase. "I can't believe you're _with_ Alexis."

"Why not?" Sonny chuckled, exposing a deep set of dimples in the process. Though he never admitted it to anyone other than himself, he was also a little surprised that the Harvard/Oxford grad had decided to be with him. He wondered how Jax's return would affect their relationship.

"If I remember correctly, she's a little rigid." Brenda didn't mean it half as catty as it sounded; still, a small part of her was a little jealous when she' seen the way both men fought over Alexis at Alexis's apartment.

"Rigid?" Sonny thought of making love to Alexis less than an hour before ad broke into a full smile. "Alexis is definitely not rigid."

"Ew, TMI," Brenda sank into the sofa. She took a look at Sonny and noticed how happy he seemed. She liked Alexis and she hoped Sonny wouldn't break Alexis the way he had broken her. "Honestly, I'm kind of happy that you're with her. For a minute, I thought I had a reason to be jealous; she and Jax are pretty tight."

Sonny took a deep breath and released it. "They're about to get tighter. Alexis is pregnant with Jax's baby."

"Does Jax know?"

Sonny leaned his head back against the sofa. "She's telling him now."

"Something tells me this is going to suck." Brenda pouted.

"Not if I can help it." Sonny hopped to his feet and headed toward Alexis's penthouse. Now was the time for him to stake his claim. When he arrived at Alexis's door, it was partially open. He heard Jax tell her that he hoped she would consider what he'd said. Then, Jax hugged Alexis and placed his hand on her stomach. The gesture was enough to make the hairs on the back of Sonny's neck rise.

Sonny's presence in the doorway was enough to irritate Jax. Although he'd found Brenda, he was beginning to believe that leaving Alexis in Port Charles near Corinthos was the worst mistake of his life. It was a mistake he would do his best to rectify. He mumbled the man's name as he passed him in the doorway. "Corinthos."

Sonny walked to Alexis and touched her shoulder. She surprised him when she stepped away from him. He tried to size her up as he asked, "Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine." She rubbed her arms, as she suddenly felt chilled. The day had been much more difficult than she had expected. Brenda was the love of Sonny's life and now like the phoenix she arisen from the ashes. She wondered where exactly that left she and Sonny. "How's Brenda?"

"Alive. You sure everything is okay?"

"Yes. "

"How did Candyboy take the news that he was going to be a father?" Sonny asked, though he already knew; Jax had to be thrilled. Alexis was smart, beautiful and tough as nails. She was going to make a great mother.

"He was excited. He wasn't happy that he missed so much of the baby's development, but he wants to be involved every step of the way from now on." She wanted them both there, but they didn't get along. If she had to choose, Jax was the only choice she could make because he was the baby's father.

"Of course." Sonny fought the urge to punch a wall. "You want to come over. I'll make you lunch."

Alexis shook her head, "no." "I'm sorry, Sonny. I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to take a nap and then work on a couple of cases."

"Okay," Sonny nodded. The writing was on the wall. She was already considering going back with Jax for the sake of the baby. "Call me later?"

"Of course."

Sonny kissed the side of her forehead. Although they'd been together only a couple of hours ago, anything more would have felt too intimate. He gave her another glance as he walked out of the door.

Minutes later, Alexis found herself in tears. Before she knew it, she was sobbing. In fact, she'd been crying so hard that she didn't hear Carly enter the room.

"Alexis, what's wrong? What did Jax do to you?" She knew his return meant trouble, which was why she tried so hard to get them all to Puerto Rico before Jax ruined her perfect plan for domestic bliss.

Alexis wiped her face. As a Cassadine, she was mortified that she'd been caught crying by anyone…even if it was Carly. "It's not Jax, it's Sonny."

"Sonny? Whatever he did, we can fix it."

Alexis shook her head in protest. "You can't fix this. I think it's over."

Carly joined her friend on the sofa and rubbed Alexis's back as she tried to regain her composure. Though Carly remained silent, she knew one thing for sure: If she had anything to do with it, Sonny and Alexis were far from over.


End file.
